Netherlands legalises euthanasia

The Netherlands has become the first country in the world to legalise euthanasia - the practice of giving terminally ill patients the right to end their lives.

The new law, which was approved last April, means that doctors will no longer face prosecution for carrying out mercy killings if they are performed with due care.

Strict conditions will apply, with regional review committees made up of legal, medical, and ethical experts carefully judging each patient's request.

A second medical opinion will be required, and the suffering of the patient must be deemed to be unbearable.

A BBC correspondent in the Netherlands says many people feel the guidelines are too stringent, and that some patients are denied a humane death when their requests for assisted suicide are turned down.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service