Non-voluntary euthanasia: the future of euthanasia Non-voluntary euthanasia seems to be the natural direction in which the practice of euthanasia is evolving. In the Netherlands there is currently a fear among the elderly of being taken to hospital, where the doctor can have the final say on life and death. This essay delves into this evolutionary process of voluntary euthanasia evolving into a non-voluntary typology. Supporters of legalized euthanasia almost always insist that they only want voluntary euthanasia (VE) - and say they are against the taking of life without the subject's consent. knowledge or consent, i.e. non-voluntary euthanasia (NVE), like anyone else. Some extend their defense to some examples of NVE, such as severely deformed newborns, [1] where consent would not be possible, but this is not normal. It is widely believed that sufficient protection against the unwanted extension of VE to NVE would be ensured by the inclusion of appropriate legal safeguards. As safeguards, clauses are proposed that would require the doctor to be satisfied that the patient's request was made freely and sufficiently informed, that there was no psychological abnormality such as depression, and possibly requiring psychiatric consultation, that more than one doctor was involved in the decision that it was medically appropriate to take life in the circumstances, and that there was adequate documentation. It is also common to find lawyers stating that such laws would be feasible to draft, although it is less common to find actual bills published for discussion. In a sense, these advocates are right when they say that such a law would be possible, but they stop short of addressing... the central part of the document... without the explicit request of the patient. Lancet 1993; 341: 1196-1199.12,Van Delden JJM, Pijnenborg L, van der Maas PJ. The Remmelink report; Two years later. Hastings Center Report 1993; Nov/Dec 24-27.13.Fenigsen R. Netherlands; New rules on euthanasia. Right Issued Med 1993; 9: 167-171.14.Id. p 170.15.Brownstein EG. Case law on neonatal euthanasia in the Netherlands. Law Aust J 1997; 7:54-58.16.Washington vs. Glucksberg, 117 SCt 2303.17. Stevens C, Hassan R. Management of death, dying and euthanasia; Doctors' attitudes and practices in South Australia. J Med Ethics 1994. Meier DE, Emmons CA, Wallenstein S, Quill T, Morrison RS, Cassel CK. A national survey of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United States. N Eng J Med 1998; 338: 1193-1201. 20: 41-46.