CZECH REPUBLIC — Notaries often are present at important moments of life — from buying a home to getting children into the neighborhood school to making healthcare decisions in the event of an emergency. And if an activist group in this Central European nation has its way, Notaries will be present at one of the last moments in life for many.
The political party Liberálové.cz is pushing the Czech Parliament to pass a law legalizing voluntary euthanasia for terminally ill patients, according to local media reports. The bill would allow a patient to request euthanasia only after all other methods of treatment have been exhausted. The patient’s signature on the request would have to be validated by a Notary.
There is no definition of how willingness would be determined, but one of the goals of the bill is to avoid possible abuses by physicians. The bill would specifically prohibit doctors from committing “involuntary” euthanasia if, for example, a patient were in a coma.