This article is about the legality of euthanasia of humans. For euthanasia performed on animals, see Animal euthanasia.
Current status of euthanasia around the world:
Active voluntary euthanasia legal (Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal,[a] Spain, and the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia)
Passive euthanasia legal (refusal of treatment / withdrawal of life support)
Active euthanasia illegal, passive euthanasia not legislated or regulated
The legality of euthanasia varies between countries and territories. Efforts to change government policies on euthanasia of humans in the 20th and 21st centuries have met with limited success in Western countries. Human euthanasia policies have also been developed by a variety of NGOs, most advocacy organisations although medical associations express a range of perspectives, and supporters of palliative care broadly oppose euthanasia.
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^Janssen, André (2002). "The New Regulation of Voluntary Euthanasia and Medically Assisted Suicide in the Netherlands". Int J Law Policy Family. 16 (2): 260–269. doi:10.1093/lawfam/16.2.260. PMID16848072.