Euthanasia is derived from Greek, it means ‘pleasant death’. It refers to the termination of a person’s life for their own good, usually to relieve them of their suffering. It usually occurs if that person has an incurable condition that prevents them from carrying out day to day activities. There are many types of Euthanasia such as active, passive, voluntary etc that abide amongst many rules that differ depending on where it is.
In the UK, euthanasia is completely illegal. Anyone who is found to be assisting a suicide is to be break the law and can be convicted. Between 2003 and 2006, Lord Joffe attempted to legalize voluntary euthanasia however all were rejected by the UK Parliament. In other places around the world the laws on euthanasia differ depending on the situation and the area in which it is.
There are different forms and types of euthanasia, the main for being voluntary, involuntary, active and passive euthanasia.
Voluntary euthanasia is that which is conducted with the consent of the patient. It tends to involve the help of another person and therefore can be considered as assisted suicide. An example of voluntary euthanasia is when a person is in a persistent vegetative state but still has control over their mind and can make the decision on whether or not they want to continue their life.
Dianne Pretty would be a case study that revolves around voluntary euthanasia. Dianne Pretty suffered from motor neurone disease that left her paralysed from the neck down. Mrs Pretty was in need of 24- hour care and faced an unpleasant death. Unable to end her own life, she wanted her husband to help her die without being prosecuted.
Dianne’s case would be an example of voluntary euthanasia as it involves the assistance of her husband. Most Christians would say that she has the intrinsic value of every other person and therefore has the same life worth even if the