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Abstract

That the interests of the individual should in principle be guiding in medical practice is not seriously questioned by anyone 1. The way in which psychiatrists and other physicians are to treat the individual and which options should be open to the individual, by contrast, continues to be an important topic of debate. Termination of life on request and assisted suicide are illegal on the basis of articles 293 and 294 of the Dutch Criminal Code, but physicians are not punished as long as they adhere to the following criteria, specified in the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act. • The physician must hold the conviction that the request by the patient was voluntary and well-considered • The physician must hold the conviction that the patient's suffering was lasting and unbearable; has has informed the patient about the situation he was in and about his prospects