Mercy killing - sustany/dvg GitHub Wiki

A mercy killing is the intentional ending of life of a person who is suffering from a terminal, painful illness. The term�also called��right to die��is most often used to describe voluntary euthanasia, though it is also used in reference to non-voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia.

Voluntary euthanasia is considered either passive or active. Passive voluntary euthanasia is when a person dies after refusing or withdrawing their consent for lifesaving medical intervention. This is legal in many countries, including the United States following�Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health, where the�Supreme Court�decided that a competent person had �a constitutionally protected right to refuse lifesaving hydration and nutrion.� Active voluntary euthanasia, on the other hand, generally occurs when a person is administered large doses of painkilling medication. This term includes�assisted suicide, where a patient is provided with the medication to end their own life. The term also includes�physician assisted suicide, where a licensed medical professional administers the medication. Active voluntary euthanasia is legal in�some�countries, to some extent. These countries include�Belgium,�Canada,�Colombia,�Luxembourg,�the Netherlands,�Switzerland, and some states in�Australia. In the United States, the Supreme Court refused to recognize active voluntary euthanasia as a Constitutional right in�Washington v. Glucksberg. However,�some states�have recognized a right to active voluntary euthanasia through�death with dignity statutes.��

Non-voluntary euthanasia, on the other hand, involves a patient who is unable to consent to life-ending measures. Involuntary euthanasia involves a patient who does not or resists such measures. Both are illegal in all countries.