Australia: Their Northern Territory passed a law on 1995-MAY-25 which was assented to on 1995-JUN-16. 1 It permitted active euthanasia, under careful controls, when certain prerequisites are met. The Northern Territory consists of about 1/6 the land mass of Australia but only has a population of about 168,000 people. The law started as a private member's bill Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill 1995, sponsored by Marshall Perron. It was opposed by the Australian Medical Association and a variety of right-to-life groups. A "conscience vote" was allowed in which members were free to vote independently of party discipline. The original name was preserved. The law is called the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act. It went into effect on 1996-JUL-1. Similar bills were introduced in other Australian states. A survey conducted by Newspoll in 1995-JUL found 81% of Australian adults support voluntary euthanasia. This is an increase over an earlier result of 79% in 1994-JUL. A poll by the Roy Morgan Research Centre in 1995-JUN showed similar results: 78% in favor. This is an increase from 66% in 1986. A separate poll showed that 60% of doctors and 78% of nurses in Victoria favored voluntary

Colombia: An individual who opposes mercy killing brought a lawsuit with the intention of deleting all references to euthanasia in Colombia law. The lawsuit backfired. On 1997-MAY-20, their Constitutional Court legalized euthanasia for terminally ill persons who have clearly given their consent. The decision was 6 to 3. Judges will now have to write guidelines and consider each case separately. Canada: Suicide is legal, but physician assisted suicide is not. A single law to enable Euthanasia could be created at the Federal level and would apply throughout the country. There have been a number of high profile cases involving terminally ill persons who have sought medical assistance in committing suicide. A Senate committee reviewed the issue and recommended in 1995 that the Federal Government take no action at this time. The Right-to-Die Society of Victoria, BC, is planning to expand nationally in late 1997 by opening chapters in Montreal PQ and other large cities.2 They will be installing a national toll-free telephone number for advice. A Saskatchewan farmer, Robert Latimer, was tried for the mercy killing of his severely disabled daughter in 1997-OCT. He was found guilty of second degree murder which, under Canadian law, requires a 10 year minimum jail sentence. The jury recommended that he be eligible for parole after one year. The sentence has been appealed through various courts. Justice Minister Anne McLellan said on 1997-NOV-6 that the federal government might change the law to allow reduced sentences for people found guilty of second degree murder, but has no intention of legalizing either euthanasia or assisted suicide. She indicated that she has reneged on a promise by her predecessor to hold a free vote in the House of Commons on physician assisted suicide. A Senate committee recommended in 1995 that a new category of "compassionate homicide" be created under the Criminal Code to cover cases of non-voluntary euthanasia. This suggestion might receive renewed attention in the near future. The Canadian House of Commons rejected by a vote of 169 to 66 a motion by Svend Robinson (NDP - Burnaby-Douglas) on 1998-MAR-25. The motion would have stuck a committee of Members of Parliament to study doctor-assisted suicide. Justice Minister Anne McLellan has said that there is no need for such a study; the Senate conducted a study only three years previously. Robinson intends to introduce a similar private member's bill early in 2001.It will call on the House of Commons o "look at the recent developments in the Netherlands and also to look in depth at the whole issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and make recommendations to Canadian law....In my view, the existing provisions of the criminal law are profoundly unjust and, in some cases, cruel." 10 England: According to Maranatha Daywatch, for 1999-DEC-8: "A British charity Monday called for a government inquiry into claims that health officials are practicing 'involuntary euthanasia' on elderly patients in an attempt to free up beds in overcrowded hospitals. Age Concern accused the National Health Service (NHS) of 'ageism' and called on the Labor government to keep a pre-election promise to tackle the problem of neglect of older patients." 8 There are allegations that elderly patients are being deprived of food and water. A second pressure group, Patients in Danger, is considering charging the government in the European Court of Human Rights. An anti-euthanasia bill was defeated in Parliament in 2000-APR. Dr. Liam Fox, spokesperson for the Conservative Party has expressed alarm at the status of passive euthanasia in England. The party is concerned that orders have been issued that at least 50 patients be allowed to die and not be

Some common words found in the essay are:
Terminally Ill, Northern Territory, Holland Euthanasia, Medical Association, Episcopal Anglican, Research Centre, London England, Anne McLellan, Court Yokahama, Wijnand Stevens, terminally ill, assisted suicide, physician assisted, physician assisted suicide, northern territory, mercy killing, voluntary euthanasia, south africa, medical association, assistance committing suicide, house commons, terminally ill persons, legalizing euthanasia, rights terminally ill, bill rights terminally,
Approximate Word count = 2512
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)