Participation of the Commissioner as a keynote speaker at the Conference "Euthanasia: Examination of Ethical and Legal Dimensions"

Conference on «Euthanasia: Examination of Ethical and Legal Dimensions»

The Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights, Mrs. Maria Stylianou-Lottides, participated as a keynote speaker at the Conference with topic «Euthanasia: Examination of Ethical and Legal Dimensions».

The conference was co-organized by the Pancyprian Bar Association and the National Bioethics Committee of Cyprus, on April 15, 2022, in Nicosia and was held under the auspices of the President of the House of Representatives Mrs. Annita Demetriou.

In her speech, the Commissioner pointed out, among other things, that "... given the multidimensional nature of the issue, the questions that arise are complex and the answers and decisions are not easy at all.

Is euthanasia a crime or is it an act of love and respect for the patient and his/her wishes? Is it redemption or an immoral act? Is it murder or relief in the context of free will?

Can it be a "treatment" so that a doctor can apply it at will of a "patient"? Should quality of life always be a criterion for the discontinuation of medication? How confident can we be of the patient's sobriety and clarity? How is consent being determined at the time that the decision of euthanasia is to be executed? Could the patient have the right to die?

Is the legally correct always morally right, too?

After all, is euthanasia a kind of help, to anyone who seeks it, expressing his/her free will, after being informed accordingly?

The answer lies only in the one who is painfully heading towards death and it is certainly not always the same!"