Euthanasia

The Oxford dictionary of law defines Euthanasia as ‘the act of taking life to relieve pain’ it is a wide term which covers; voluntary or active euthanasia and non-voluntary or passive euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia is where the sufferers life is ended at his specific request. 
The issue of euthanasia, it is subjective as everyone has different moral values so will have different opinions surrounding the topic. There is much controversy in this country over whether it should be legal or illegal.

   Should the law be able to intervene in private areas of morality?

It is an underlying argument that is debated amongst our legal system as they rarely reflect each other, it can be found that some things are moral and legal like the common principles of life, and things can be illegal and immoral such as murder. These areas of law correspond reflectively with morality and help with the enforcement of justice within society. However issues arise when there is debate over the morality of an issue, some areas of the law may be moral and illegal and others may be immoral and legal. Examples include euthanasia and abortion.
To allow a terminally ill individual to end their life could be argued as the only humane, rational and compassionate choice. The right to life and the right to private and family life under the European convention on human rights are argued by the public that they should be interpreted broadly to include decisions about quality of life, including decisions about death if the life is no longer one of quality.  The majority of the population is in favour of voluntary euthanasia as shown in the British Social Attitudes Report 1996 82% of the public believed it should be legalized. In what is believed to be the first such poll specifically targeted at pensioners, 92% of those surveyed replied that doctors should be allowed to end the life of terminally ill patients who want to die. Only 29% agreed with the statement that legalising euthanasia posed a realistic risk of allowing the unscrupulous to end a patient’s life without consent. Yet it continues to be illegal?
On the other hand, some may argue abortion is immoral even though it was legalized in the UK in 1967; some join other pro-life advocates and say that the right to life should always outweigh the right of an individual to equality or to control their own body. 

Should Euthanasia be illegal?

I believe that Euthanasia should be legalised in this country for when a patient is terminally ill and only then after attempts to help them survive have been used, it should be consented by the patient and/or the family members, as Euthanasia humanely ends a patients suffering leaving them to die with dignity and can help shorten the grief and suffering of the patients loved ones. However I feel there should be a point in which we do not allow Euthanasia a in the case of Nan Maitland, in 2011 this 85 year made the headlines after she chose to end her life via euthanasia. She was suffering from slight arthritis and was reported to be in 'great health for a woman of her age' but wanted to avoid 'dwindling' so chose euthanasia. Maitland's decision has been criticised as potentially putting pressure on the elderly to end their lives so they are not a burden to their loved ones, carers or the state. 

I feel that the option should be available there for those who need it but not of public access through hospitals, however I don't know how this would work in practise as it my have great knock on effect on the laws surrounding suicide and murder and could be argued that it could relax the laws, if not instated properly.