Analysis of Euthanasia Legitimacy Based on the Right to Self-Determination from the Perspective of Legal Experts and Comparative Legalization
Abstract
This article aims to analyze the concept of individual self-determination as a basis for legitimizing euthanasia, examine how the right to life is interpreted within the framework of self-determination by legal scholars, and review legal practices in several countries that ground the legality of euthanasia in respect for personal autonomy. Using a normative juridical research method that focuses on the study of literature, legal norms, principles, and theoretical frameworks, this research demonstrates that the right to life, as formulated in human rights instruments, should not be understood as an obligation to preserve biological life under all circumstances, particularly in situations of severe and incurable medical suffering. Instead, respect for human dignity, personal autonomy, and individual will forms a crucial foundation for assessing the legitimacy of euthanasia. Legal scholars argue that a competent individual’s conscious decision to end life through a regulated medical procedure may be considered a legitimate expression of the right to self-determination. Comparative analysis of legal practices in Canada, the Netherlands, and other jurisdictions shows that the legalization of euthanasia is generally based on recognizing individual freedom to determine one’s own end-of-life choices with dignity. Therefore, this study concludes that, in certain contexts, euthanasia does not violate the right to life but rather affirms the individual’s right to shape both life and death in a manner consistent with human dignity.
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