Euthanasia generally involves a health practitioner administering a lethal dose to intentionally end a person’s life, usually in the form of a lethal injection.
Euthanasia is different from assisted suicide, in that assisted suicide involves the person ending their own life administering a lethal dose themselves, whereas euthanasia usually involves a health practitioner administering a lethal dose.
Assisted suicide is legal in a handful of jurisdictions globally including Holland, Belgium, Canada, Colombia and Luxembourg.
Right To Life UK campaigns against any attempt to legalise such euthanasia, and for the development of palliative care services and end of life care that remove any perceived need for euthanasia.
Assisted suicide ‘ceremony’ held in Canadian church sanctuary
A Canadian church has hosted an assisted suicide ceremony for one of its members.. The Churchill Park United Church of Winnipeg held what it described as a “Crossing Over Ceremony” in which an 86 year old, Betty Sanguin, ended her life through an assisted suicide in...
New Zealand: 28 people end their lives by assisted suicide or euthanasia in first 3 months since law came into effect
At least 28 people in New Zealand have had their lives ended by euthanasia or assisted suicide in the three months since the practice became legal. The law that allows assisted suicide and euthanasia came into effect in November 2021 following a referendum on the...
Italy: Assisted suicide referendum blocked by Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court in Italy has blocked a referendum seeking to make assisted suicide legal because it would remove protections for the weak and the vulnerable. On 15 February, the Constitutional Court said it “deemed the referendum question inadmissible”...
United Nations Human Rights Council criticises Belgium’s euthanasia law
Belgium has been criticised for its radical euthanasia law during a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland. The UNHCR is undergoing a “Universal Periodic Review”, in which member states' human rights records are scrutinised...
Ontario sees over 30% increase in euthanasia deaths in 2021 compared to the previous year
The number of deaths by euthanasia in Ontario, Canada increased by over 30% in 2021 compared to the previous year. According to data released by the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, there were 3,102 deaths by euthanasia in the province in 2021 compared to 2,378...
President of Portugal vetoes euthanasia Bill
The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has vetoed a bill that would legalise euthanasia, arguing that the bill is possibly too radical. On 5 November, lawmakers in Portugal voted 138-84 to introduce euthanasia into the country but the President said the...
