My father is terminally ill with cancer and has no chance of recovery. He has been on a ventilator for 6 months and is under constant severe pain rendering him unable to move and look after himself. I have heard about euthanasia but I am not sure about what it is exactly and whether it is lawful in New South Wales.
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Answer by Neha Sharma, Hillsdale 2036 NSW
- Euthanasia is the act of painlessly killing a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease.
- Euthanasia is illegal in Australia and in New South Wales it can be seen as an act of murder under section 18 of the Crimes Act (NSW).
- Essentially there are 2 types of euthanasia:
- Active euthanasia is a deliberate act that quickly results in another person’s death such as giving a terminally ill patient a lethal injection.
- Death this way is perceived under the law as murder.
- Passive euthanasia is an act of withholding or removing life sustaining treatment such as the ventilator.
- Even though under an act of passive euthanasia a person dies of natural causes the doctor withdrawing or withholding the treatment may be charged with murder under the law.