Euthanasia and assisted suicide are, unlike in the Netherlands, not mentioned as such in the Belgian Penal Code. However, they can be classified as crimes and are in first instance punishable. Since 2002, these acts are allowed by law when they are performed by a physician who fulfills the requirements of the law. In Belgium, euthanasia is also applicable for minors, although extra requirements must be met in such a situation. Every person in Belgium has the right to refuse treatment. Also palliative care and palliative sedation are seen as good medical practice in Belgium.
Euthanasia can be classified as manslaughter (art. 393), murder (art. 394) or poisoning (art. 397) of the Belgian Penal Code.
Assisted suicide and the provision of lethal drugs can be punished, based on the notion that it is a citizen’s duty to help a person in great danger. This is laid down in articles 422bis and 422ter of the Penal Code. A person who does not fulfill this duty can be punished by 8 days to a year imprisonment.
With the introduction of the Law regarding euthanasia, the question arose whether this law also covered assisted suicide, as assisted suicide is not explicitly mentioned in the Belgium euthanasia law. This question is answered positively by the Belgian Council of state (Raad van State), the order of physicians and the Belgian review committees.
This law stipulates that euthanasia is not a crime, provided that it is performed by a doctor who has assured himself that:
An advance directive is legally valid; this must be renewed every five years. A request for euthanasia must be submitted in writing and this written request must be kept by two intimates. They must also be present when the advance directive is drawn up and one of the two must not benefit in the event of the death of the author.
Since 2014, the age limit (subject to parental consent) for euthanasia has been dropped. Instead, the term “competent” has come. When a minor requests for euthanasia extra guarantees are required. And also when a person is not assumed to die within foreseeable time, an extra physician should be consulted, just as a psychiatrist. (Article 3 paragraph 3)
Since 2002, The Law Regarding Patients Rights has come into force in Belgium. Article 8, par 4 of this law stipulates that every person in Belgium has the right to refuse treatment. Read the law below
On Tuesday the 11th of August, the End-of-life Care Research Group (VUB-UGent) published a study about the willingness among psychiatrists to take a concrete, active
The Belgian (Dutch-speaking) Right to Die Society RWS published her (Flemish only) Magazine 2020-3, for the months July, August and September 2020.
