As part of the cycle of lectures by new researchers at the Institute of Social Sciences, Dušica Kovačević, a Researcher Trainee from the Centre for Philosophy, held a lecture on November 01, 2022 in the Great Hall of the Institute of Social Sciences on the topic “Euthanasia in Comparative Law”.
The accelerated medical and technological development raises numerous legal and bioethical issues and dilemmas. Euthanasia is one of the most controversial topics that are increasingly discussed in law and bioethics. In this regard, the lecture will be dedicated to the consideration of euthanasia from the legal standpoint. In addition, judicial decisions from comparative practice, which paved the way for legislative regulation of euthanasia in certain countries, were discussed and analyzed. From a legal standpoint, euthanasia can be understood as an act of mercy that eases the patient’s suffering or as murder regardless of the motives for its execution.
During the lectures, it was emphasized that the current legal status of euthanasia depends on the internal legislative decisions of the states in which, despite the global promotion of liberal social values and individual autonomy, a collective view of human life is nurtured, under the influence of religious understandings. Until now, only a few countries around the world have accepted the decriminalization and legalization of euthanasia under certain conditions.
The European countries that are considered to be pioneers of legalized euthanasia are Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, while in a greater number of countries, doctor’s assistance in suicide is accepted as a form of action similar to euthanasia.
During the discussion, it was especially emphasized that the specific legal status of euthanasia, differently defined in comparative legislation with the absence of international standards, leads to numerous problems from the perspective of legal dogmatic and medical regulations, which solutions resulting the changes in the legal field and announcements of future improvements. Additionally, it was pointed out that in the legal regulation of euthanasia, it is necessary to take into consideration current philosophical, religious, economic and medical understandings.
