The Netherlands Experiment (IN: Dignity and Dying: a Christian Appraisal, edited by J F Kilner, A B Miller, and E D Pellegrino)

On June 1, 1994 a new legal regulation of euthanasia, assisted suicide & life-terminating actions without a request became effective in The Netherlands. This regulation can be seen as an experiment. Will it be possible to tolerate & regulate euthanasia while at the same time keeping it under control & within specific boundaries? This chapter presents an evaluation of this experiment so far. It begins with a description of the Dutch experience to date & then provides an overview of the main arguments for & against (legalization of) euthanasia in light of that experience.