Euthanasia could be known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide , doctor-assisted suicide , and more used term, mercy killing, which basically means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable (persistent, unstoppable) suffering and pain..
There are different euthanasia laws in each country. The British House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics defines euthanasia as "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering.
In the Netherlands euthanasia is understood as "termination of life by a doctor at the request of a patient”.
Euthanasia can be categorized in different ways, which can include: voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary.
Voluntary euthanasia - is legal in some countries and U.S. states. Since 2009 voluntary euthanasia has been legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the states of Oregon and Washington (USA).
Involuntary euthanasia - euthanasia is conducted without consent and is usually considered murder. This decision is usually made by another person because the patient is incapable to doing so himself/herself. Non-
Voluntary euthanasia: is somewhat illegal in all countries.
In the majority of countries assisted euthanasia is against the law. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, it is illegal to help somebody kill themselves, regardless of circumstances. Assisted or voluntary euthanasia carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison in the UK.
There are two procedural classifications of euthanasia:
Passive euthanasia- the definition of passive euthanasia is often not clear cut. For example, if a doctor prescribes increasing doses of painkilling medications which may eventually be toxic for the patient, some may argue whether passive euthanasia is taking place - in most cases, the doctor's measure is seen as a passive one. Many claim that the term is