Realwomen of BC - Archives - Jan2003

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Belgium Legalizes Euthanasia In September 2002 Belgium became the second country in the world to legalize euthanasia. Terminally-ill patients can now request a doctor’s assistance in ending their lives. Socialist Senator Philippe Mahoux claimed that this new law would give the patients the power to make decisions over their last moments of life. Doctors will need to fill out a special form every time special requests help in dying. Under this new law, a doctor who helps a terminally-ill patient die, at the request of the patient, will not be committing a crime. The law was passed in a 86-51 vote by the Belgian parliament in May. The influential Roman Catholic clergy was outraged although a public poll showed that 72 percent of the people questioned were in support of the new law.
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