In the Netherlands, euthanasia is understood to mean termination of life by a doctor at the request of a patient. The Dutch government does not turn a blind eye to the fact that euthanasia happens. The question of whether criminal liability for euthanasia should be restricted has been the subject of broad political and public debate for almost thirty years.
A special ground for exemption from criminal liability has been included in the Criminal Code. This means that doctors who terminate life on request or assist in a patientís suicide can no longer be prosecuted, provided they satisfy the statutory due care criteria. They are also required to report death by non-natural causes to the appropriate regional euthanasia review committee.
The main aims of the policy are to bring matters into the open, to apply uniform criteria in assessing every case where a doctor terminates life, and hence to ensure that maximum care is exercised in such cases.
