Euthanasia on the
verge of becoming
legal in Lithuania?
Milda Gegužytė
Eglė Mazėtytė
EUTHANASIA

Euthanasia - refers to the practice of
intentionally ending a life in order to
relieve pain and suffering.
From the Greek: Eu – well or good; thanatos - death
Classification:
I) Voluntary;
II) Unvoluntary;
Involuntary (?)
 Active;
 Passive.
Euthanasia in Lithuania

Passive (legalized in Patients' rights
and health damage compensation
Act)

o
patient’s right to refuse treatment or
some medicine procedures
Active. Not legalized in Lithuania
Project of Euthanasia Act
2012-03-02



Limitation of
medicine
Act project is more
conservative than in
Belgium
“Everybody has a
right to express
their opinion - even
a Parliament
member “
Who would be entitled to use a right to
Euthanasia?



Person who feels unbearable physical and (or)
psychical suffering from incurable sickness
Reached 18 years old, capable, mentally abled,
able intelligently evaluate his/her interests
This person plead the petition with free will
and taking into account all given information
about further incurable sickness
Euthanasia Control and The
Committee




Euthanasia Committee
Ad hoc
Aim verify if Euthanasia was in comformity
with Euthanasia Act and others Acts regulated
its proceeding
Finding infrindgement  Euthanasia case is
transferable to public prosecutor
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF
EUTHANASIA
Respect for the autonomy and quality of life issue:
 the only thing a person can absolutely control of his life.
??? The personal life of the control concept can be
expanded to control death.
??? Criteria of quality of life: a life
that one may seem bearable and
worth it to live, the other seems
unbearable.
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF
EUTHANASIA
Mercy, beneficence and utilitarianism
 many people die enduring pain and fear
 when no other means for pain relief,
euthanasia is the only good (benevolent)
decision.
 Utilitarian point of view: every action even if it ends in death - is positive if its
consequences is positive
 goal - a peaceful death.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
EUTHANASIA
No legal way of properly regulating
euthaniasia
Euthanasia opponents don't believe that it
is possible to create a regulatory system
for euthanasia that will prevent the
abuse of euthanasia.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
EUTHANASIA
The slippery slope
Many people worry that if voluntary
euthanasia were to become legal, it
would not be long before involuntary
euthanasia would start to happen.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
EUTHANASIA
Value of life/against will of God:




All human beings are to be valued,
irrespective of age, sex, race, religion, social
status or their potential for achievement;
Human life is a basic good as opposed to an
instrumental good, a good in itself rather than
as a means to an end;
Human life is sacred because it's a gift from
God;
Therefore the deliberate taking of human life
should be prohibited except in self-defence or
the legitimate defence of others.
STATISTICS
Pro euthanasia: 47 %
Against euthanasia: 37 %
Have no opinion: 16 %
Against
Pro
Have no opinion