The Value of Human Life a Divine Right in the Judicial European Space Pros and Cons of Euthanasia

Authors

  • Ana Alina Ionescu Dumitrache Danubius University of Galati
  • Nelu Gheorghita Danubius University of Galati

Keywords:

human life; euthanasia; European Court of Human Rights; palliative care

Abstract

Respect fullness for every person’s right to life and human dignity can be found in most of the
great religions and ideologies throughout the world. The right to life is a fundamental human right, for it
is a divine gift, which, by its importance, surpasses the sphere of personal interest, making it relevant for
the whole society. Euthanasia or the recognition of the right to death is considered a very delicate subject,
with many pros and cons opinions and which requires an approach on multiple directions: religious,
medical, social and judicial. Therefore, in this article I will try to show that life is of utmost importance to
humans and also why christianism saw death as a normality, like a part of life, that death represents a
moment and not a final stage. Moreover, we will assess the position of a European legislator regarding
the right to die, knowing that the Romanian legislator is in the position of absolute rejection towards
euthanasia practices, and the new Criminal Code – Law nr. 287/2009 stipulates the act of murder upon
the victim’s request as a lesser form of murder, so resubmitting the tradition existing in our national law,
this conduct being criminalized by prior art. nr. 468 of the 1936 Criminal Code.

Author Biographies

Ana Alina Ionescu Dumitrache, Danubius University of Galati

Senior Lecturer, PhD, Faculty of Law

Nelu Gheorghita, Danubius University of Galati

Student, 4th Year, Faculty of Law

References

Breck, John (2007). The sacred gift of life. Treatise on Bioethics. Cluj-Napoca: Patmos.

*** (2012). Cause Pretty c. Regatului Unit, nr. 2346/02, trial on 29 Aprilie 2002, in European Court of Human Rights –

Reserch Report – Bioethics and the case?law of the Court, Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights, 2012,

www.echr.coe.int.

*** (2012). Cause Hass c. Elve?iei, nr. 31322/07, trial on 20 January 2011, in European Court of Human Rights – Reserch

Report – Bioethics and the case?law of the Court, Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights, www.echr.coe.int.

*** (2012). Cause Koch c. Germaniei, nr. 497/09, trial on 31 May 2011, in European Court of HumanRights – Reserch

Report – Bioethicsandthecase?law of the Court, Council of Europe/ European Court of HumanRights, www.echr.coe.int.

*** (2015). Cause Lambert ?i al?ii c. Fran?ei, nr. 46043/14, trial on 05 June 2015, in European Court of HumanRights –2015,

www. ier.gov.ro

Cioclei, Valerian (2019). Criminal law. Special part I, 4th edition. Bucharest: Ed. C.H. Beck.

Code of Medical Ethics of the Romanian College of Physicians.

Constantin, Eduard (2016) Crimes against life in the New Criminal Code. Bucharest: Ed. Universul Juridic.

Euthanasia and medically assisted suicide. www.provitabucuresti.ro.

Evdokimov, Paul (1996). Orthodoxy. Bucharest: Ed. IBMBOR.

Reason for drafting the new Criminal Code. www.just.ro.

Ic?, Ioan (coordonator) (2003). The Holy Fathers about the origins and destiny of the cosmos and man. Sibiu: Ed. Deisis.

Losky, Vladimir (1993). Introduction to Orthodox Theology. Translated by Lidia ?i Remus Rus. Bucharest: Ed.

Enciclopedic?.

*** (2008). Human Rights Handbook. Bucharest. apador.org.

Minois, G. (2002). The History of Suicide, Western Society in the Face of Voluntary Death. Bucharest: Ed. Humanitas.

Paul, R. (17 aprilie 2012). Legalized human euthanasia: charity or murder? Free Romania. www.romanialibera.ro.

Popescu, Leontin (2009). Bioethics and the Christian perspective. Braila: Ed. Istros.

Rotar, Marius. Looking for a balance. About the death penalty in Transylvania. diam.uab.ro.

Streteanu, Florin & Moro?anu, Raluca (2010). Institutions and crimes in the New Criminal Code - manual for the use of SNG

trainers. Bucharest.

Emanuel T?val? (2017). Is It a Duty to Die in Europe: If Not Now, When: Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide from

the Legal Perspective. Romanian Journal of Private Law, p. 222 Wolters Kluwer.

Borasio, Gian Domenico; Jox J Ralf & Gamondi, Claudia (09March, 2019). Regulation of assisted suicide limits the number

of assisted deaths. Correspondence, Volume 393, ISSUE 10175, pp. 982-983.

Downloads

Published

2021-02-03

Issue

Section

The Youth of Today - The Generation of the Global Development