Legal principles of euthanasia: a comparative analysis between different nations

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15175/9pqkg264

Keywords:

active euthanasia, Aruna Ramachandra’s case, assisted suicide euthanasia, good death, mercy killing

Abstract

Euthanasia is one of the most divisive topics in the world, many nations and religious people oppose it since it goes against their religious beliefs. India is no exception. Hinduism contends that the soul is indestructible and has its roots. A similar belief held by Muslims is that life should only cease at Allah's order and that doing so is evil. Christians also hold that humans shouldn't enter God's domain of life and death since doing so has other unethical implications. However, in some instances, it is asserted in contemporary culture, it is appropriate to give someone the option to choose death. Everyone has the right to life, according to both Article 3 of the 1948 International Declaration of Human Rights and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Although it is always up for judicial review and depends on the situation, the right to die is identical to other components of the right to life. It's common to hear people refer to euthanasia as “mercy killing” or “good dying.” Others argue that in some circumstances, a person should be given the option to choose death rather than being forced to live. We have the right to live a decent life and are expected to endure difficult situations rather than giving up. This study tries to define the issue of euthanasia, examine the legality in various jurisdictions, and conduct a comparative analysis of the legal norms.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Ashu MAHARSHI, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, India

    Dr. Ashu Maharshi, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law at Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan. She did MA (Eng Lit) from Banasthali Vidhyapeeth and MBA (HR), LLB, LLM (Business Law) & PhD in Law from Jai Naraian Vyas University, Jodhpur. She Teaches Corporate Law, Law and Justice in Globalized world, Competition Law and Banking Laws. Before joining Manipal University, Jaipur, Rajasthan she has also worked as an Associate Professor at Amity University, Jaipur, Rajasthan and Assistant Professor in Jaipur National University and various colleges. Her doctorate work focuses on the Criminalization of Politics and Rule of Law. She has been a regular resource person at Several Universities and also judged many National and International Moot court Competitions. She has also presented various papers and chaired sessions at various National and International conferences. She has written many articles in Scopus and UGC care list Journals. She has contributed in Distance Education Program (IGNOU) as an Academic Counselor. She has Supervised Four PhD and six are registered under her supervision and guided research students for their post-graduate degree. She has published several research papers in Scopus , UGC journal . She has reviewed chapters for Scopus Book Publisher. She is Life member of Council for Teachers Professional Development (CTPD). She has conducted dozens of Webinars and organized moot court Competitions. She has also been a coordinator for various events and conferences at the University. She has attended many Workshops and FDPs. She has authored books also on corporate Law and contributed to edited books also. She has been awarded the Academic Excellence award for teaching in higher education by ERDA. She has been appointed as Visiting Professor in Faculty of Law University Utara Malaysia.

  • Neha BHARTIYA, Amity University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

    Dr. Neha Bhartiya is an accomplished academician who completed her education at
    Rajasthan University, Jaipur, earning a Doctorate degree in Political Science from the
    Department of Political Science, UOR, Jaipur. In addition to her Ph.D., she holds M.Phil,
    NET-JRF- SRF, and SLET qualifications in her field. Currently serving as an Assistant
    Professor of Political Science at Amity University, Rajasthan, Dr. Bhartiya brings several
    years of teaching experience to her role.
    Prior to her position at Amity University, she was associated with Mody University of
    Science and Technology, Laxmangarh, Sikar. Dr. Bhartiya has edited two significant
    volumes—Rights: Contemporary Debates (2019) and Governance in the Age of AI:
    Navigating Opportunities & Ethical Challenges (2024). Her research spans political theory,
    governance, gender studies, human rights, AI and public policy, and feminist international
    relations. She has published widely in reputed national and international journals, including
    SCOPUS-indexed publications, along with book chapters in volumes published by Emerald
    and IGI Global, and an IEEE conference proceeding.
    As a mentor, she has supervised numerous dissertations, guiding students in their academic
    pursuits, and currently oversees Ph.D. candidates under her mentorship.An active member of
    the Indian Political Science Association (IPSA), Dr. Bhartiya is involved in various academic
    bodies, including the Board of Studies, Industrial Academic Council, Internal Quality
    Assessment Cell, and the Proctorial Board at Amity University Rajasthan. Her dedication to
    academia and extensive contributions underscore her commitment to the field of Political
    Science.

References

BATTIN, Margaret P. et al. Legal physician-assisted dying in Oregon and the Netherlands: evidence concerning the impact on patients in “vulnerable” groups. Journal of Medical Ethics, v. 33, n. 10, p. 591-597, Oct. 2007. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2007.022335

BÜHLER, Georg. The laws of Manu. [S.l.]: Japan Society of Medical Entomology and Zoology, 1886.

CHAKRABORTY, Rajshekhar et al. A systematic review of religious beliefs about major end-of-life issues in the five major world religions. Palliat Support Care, v. 15, n. 5, p. 609–622, Oct. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1478951516001061

EGGER, Matthias; SMITH, George Davey; PHILLIPS, Andrew N. Meta-analysis: principles and procedures. BMJ, v. 315, n. 7121, p. 1533-1537, 1997. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.315.7121.1533

FIRTH, Shirley. End-of-life: a Hindu view. The Lancet, v. 366, n. 9486, p. 682-686, Aug. 20-26, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67141-3

INDIA. Madhya Pradesh. Census of India 2011. 1 jan. 2011. Available at: https://www.data.gov.in/catalog/villagetown-wise-primary-census-abstract-2011-madhya-pradesh. Accessed on: Sept. 13, 2026.

LEE, Melinda A. et al. Legalizing assisted suicide — views of physicians in Oregon. New England Journal of Medicine, v. 334, n. 5, p. 310-315, Feb. 1, 1996. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199602013340507

MROZ, Sarah et al. Assisted dying around the world: a status quaestionis. Annals of Palliative Medicine, v. 10, n. 3, p. 3540-3553, Mar. 31, 2021. Available at: https://apm.amegroups.org/article/view/50986. Accessed on: Sept. 16, 2026.

MYATRA, Sheila Nainan et al. End-of-life care policy: an integrated care plan for the dying. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, v. 18, n. 9, p. 615-635, 1 jan. 2014. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-5229.140155

QUILL, Timothy E.; CASSEL, Christine K.; MEIER, Diane E. Care of the Hopelessly Ill — Proposed Clinical Criteria for Physician-Assisted Suicide. New England Journal of Medicine, v. 327, n. 19, p. 1380-1384, 5 nov. 1992. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199211053271911

UNITED NATIONS. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 20 April 2022. Available at: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2022/05/CRPD_CSP_2022_CRP1.pdf. Accessed on: Sept. 18, 2026.

WANZER, Sidney H. et al. The Physician’s Responsibility toward Hopelessly Ill Patients. New England Journal of Medicine, v. 320, n. 13, p. 844-849, 30 mar. 1989. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm198903303201306

Downloads

Published

2026-10-26

Issue

Vol. 18 - Nº 3 - Setembro a Dezembro (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Passages: International Review of Political History and Legal Culture

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

A compromise transferring the copyright is requested, with the author’s signature, as the example below:

 

I / Us, ..................... , author(s) of the article/review: ................................, which

I/we have submitted to the appreciation of ‘Passagens: International Review of Political History and Legal Culture”, am/are aware of the publishing rules and

agree that the copyright related to it is transferred to the Publishing. I (we) take full responsibility for the content of this article; and is will contribute to the Editors to undertake the changes suggested by the evaluators and the review of bibliographic quotations.

 

__________________, ____/_____

 

Signature: ________________________________

 

How to Cite

Legal principles of euthanasia: a comparative analysis between different nations. (2026). Passages: International Review of Political History and Legal Culture, 18(3), 450-470. https://doi.org/10.15175/9pqkg264