Glossary

Glossary Terms

• Euthanasia
• Voluntary Euthanasia
• Medically Assisted Suicide
• Medically Assisted Dying
• Passive Euthanasia
• Double Effect
• Advance Directive (Living Will)
• Medical Enduring Power of Attorney
• Terminal Sedation (TS)

Passive Euthanasia

is a rarely used term now, since withholding or withdrawal of treatment, even if done with the intention of hastening death, is not considered illegal.

It was described as passive rather than active because no action to cause death was considered to have occurred, and the patient was considered to have died of their underlying disease.

This is not necessarily true, but is accepted to comply with law and help the conscience of the doctor.

Double Effect

A religious doctrine, that has been applied to medical decisions at the end of life, to justify medical treatment to relieve pain and suffering that actually hastens death.

It says, effectively, that where when treatment will have the effect of both relieving suffering and hastening death (double effect), provided the primary intention is to relieve pain and not to cause death, then, although the death can be foreseen, the action is ethically and legally correct.

There must importantly be a sense of proportionality between the pain and suffering and the action.

Advance Directive (Living Will)

A document created whilst a person is competent that sets out the treatment he or she wishes to receive (or refuse) if they should become incompetent to express their wishes.

It is an extension of autonomy to the incompetent person. It has status under common law, and in the hands of a legally appointed agent is an even more powerful document. Form download...

Medical Enduring Power of Attorney

This refers to the appointment of an agent under the Medical Treatment Act to make medical decisions such as refusal of treatment for a person should they become incompetent to make their own decisions.

The Medical Treatment Act is an Act of the Victorian Parliament that sets out to give protection to the patient's right to refuse unwanted treatment, and to ensure that dying patients receive the maximum relief from pain and suffering. Form download...

Euthanasia

Derived from two Greek words - 'eu' meaning good and 'thanatos' meaning death. Voluntary means that it is by the choice of the individual. Thus voluntary euthanasia means the choice of a good death, which is a broad concept that will mean different things for different people.

It will involve a variety of different actions, both active and passive, to achieve a 'good death'. Some of these actions, such as withdrawal of treatment and refusal of treatment, and the liberal use of drugs to relieve pain and suffering whilst at the same time hastening death, have achieved legal status; they have thus been removed from the debate, which now focuses on VE by direct lethal injection, and on physician assisted suicide.

Voluntary Euthanasia

A common definition of Voluntary Euthanasia (initiated and used by the Dutch) is "the intentional termination of life by somebody other than the person concerned, at the request of the person whose life is being ended." Such a definition allows VE to be described as killing, and because the intention of the 'somebody' is the termination of life, it is illegal in Victoria.

However such a definition is inadequate, since the intention of any act of VE is the relief of suffering, whilst acknowledging that hastening of death is a foreseen and intended consequence. Moreover the focus of the definition is on the person who is terminating life, rather than on the person who is requesting assistance, whose intentions are central.

For these reasons DWDV has developed a definition that encompasses the broader concept and actions of VE. It states that "Voluntary Euthanasia is an action taken by, or at the request of, a rational, informed and hopelessly ill person whose intention is to be relieved of their intolerable suffering by hastening their dying in a dignified manner."

Medically Assisted Suicide

A form of Voluntary Euthanasia where the action is taken by the hopelessly ill person themselves.

To hasten their death in a dignified manner requires, in most circumstances, advice and prescription of suitable medication by a doctor. This is considered to be illegal, although no doctor has been charged with assisting in the suicide of a hopelessly ill patient in Victoria.

Medically Assisted Dying

Both medically assisted suicide and active voluntary euthanasia come under the heading of medically assisted dying.

Terminal Sedation (TS)

Deliberately placing a patient in a sedated state by the continuous administration of sedative and analgesic drugs. This is done to relieve very severe pain, breathing difficulties and/or psychological distress.

The drugs may have the side-effect of hastening death, but the primary intention is to relieve the patient's suffering.