As described in the concurring opinion of Myers v. Schneiderman, euthanasia refers to bringing about the death of a patient to prevent additional suffering. The concurring opinion in Meyers also distinguished euthanasia from physician-assisted suicide, in which the patients end their lives with the assistance of a physician.
Specifically, active euthanasia occurs when a physician intentionally acts to end the life of a terminally ill patient, often through administering lethal drugs, motivated by the physician’s concerns.
There are three types of active euthanasia: voluntary euthanasia occurs at the patient’s request; non-voluntary euthanasia occurs without the consent of the patient; involuntary euthanasia is when a patient is unable to give consent.
Furthermore, passive euthanasia refers to the act of withholding or withdrawing treatment necessary to sustain life. For example, the United States Supreme Court case of Cruzan v. Director of Missouri Department of Health involves the seeking of a court order that directs the withdrawal of artificial feeding and hydration equipment from a patient.
Euthanasia is more commonly performed on sick or injured animals. For example, the case Berry v. Frazier in California Court of Appeals, First District, Third Division was about a feline euthanasia performed by a veterinarian. Matter of Town of Ogden v. LaVilla in the Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, Fourth Department reviewed a lower court order on euthanizing a dog that was considered dangerous.
[Last updated in March of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]