THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS|Madrid: Spain’s parliament gave final approval to a law legalising euthanasia Thursday, becoming one of the few nations to allow terminally-ill or gravely-injured patients to end their own suffering.
Spain the fourth European nation to decriminalise assisted suicide, alongside the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Spain has passed a law to legalise euthanasia, becoming the fourth country in Europe to allow people to end their own life in some circumstances. Spain’s lower house of parliament approved the law with support from the centre and left-wing parties on Thursday.
The law allows adults with “serious and incurable” diseases that cause “unbearable suffering” to choose to end their lives. It is expected to take effect in June.
Before the law’s passage, helping somebody to die in Spain was potentially punishable by a jail term of up to 10 years.
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada and Colombia are the only other countries in which euthanasia is currently legal. Switzerland assisted suicide is exempt from punishment.
Portugal’s parliament had attempted to take the same step. But this week, legislation that sought to legalise euthanasia was rejected as unconstitutional by the country’s top court.
The Spanish law permits two voluntary means of allowing a person to end their own life: euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Patients have to be Spanish citizens or legal residents and must be fully conscious when they request the procedures.
Euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending a life to relieve suffering – for example a lethal injection administered by a doctor. In cases of assisted suicide, the act is undertaken by the person themselves with help. To request either, the person must:
- suffer a “serious or incurable illness” or a “chronic or incapacitating” condition that causes “intolerable suffering”
- be an adult Spanish national or a legal resident
- be “fully aware and conscious” when they make the request, which has to be submitted twice in writing, 15 days apart. It must be approved by two separate doctors and an evaluation body.
A doctor can reject the request if the requirements have not been met. It must be approved by a second medic and by an evaluation body. Any medic can withdraw on grounds of “conscience” from taking part in the procedure.
Disclaimer: This news was published on the New Indian Express.
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