When does a doctor have the right to kill a patient? Legally, Holland still says never: practising euthanasia remains a crime in the Netherlands, punishable by a sentence of up to 12 years in prison. But last week the Parliament's lower house voted 91 to 45 in favour of a law designed to shield Dutch physicians from prosecution for helping patients die. The legislation is expected to win approval from Parliament's upper house and receive the crown seal with a minimum of debate. No other country in the industrialized world officially condones active euthanasia. As a practical matter, the new law merely codifies the Netherlands' existing policy on physician-assisted death.
Although last year Dutch doctors reported 1,318 mercy killing to the judicial autorities, the government brought no charges against anyone. A recent survey found that 71 percent of the Dutch people think that euthanasia should be decriminalized. Even so, opponents of the practice regard it as murder. The law sets strict guidelines for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The doctor must determine if the patient's suffering is unbearable and without hope of remission. The patient must freely, lucidly and repeatedly express the desire to die. The doctor's final decision can be made only after consultation s with a second physician and the patient's family.
In addition, the doctor must file a full report to the authorities. Even supporters of the law acknoledge that the guidelines leave open some serious questions. How severe does pain have to become before it qualifies as "unbearable"? And is a patient in such pain capable of making a "lucid" decision? Some doctors have been secretly making such judgments for years. In the Netherlands, they can now do it openly.

Note: In 2002, the Netherlands legalized euthanasia. Euthanasia is still a criminal offence but the law codified a twenty year old convention of not prosecuting doctors who have committed euthanasia in very specific cases, under very specific circumstances. The Ministry of health, Welfare and Sport  claims that this practice "allows a person to end their life in dignity after having received every available type of palliative care".

1. 91 Parliament's members were against the new Dutch law concerning euthanasia, but the Queen was a supporter of the law, so that it was voted
   1.   ?    True
   2.   ?    False
   3.   ?    Not in the text
2. Before the new law, euthanasia already existed: 1,318 doctors were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for practising it.
   1.   ?    True
   2.   ?    False
   3.   ?    Not in the text
3. Now (at the time the text was written), euthanasia is still illegal, but doctors will not be prosecuted for practising it.
   1.   ?    True
   2.   ?    False
   3.   ?    Not in the text
4. In 1992, 1,318 patients were murdered by doctors who followed the orders of the judicial authorities.
   1.   ?    True
   2.   ?    False
   3.   ?    Not in the text
5. The family of the patient must agree with the doctor's decision to practise euthanasia.
   1.   ?    True
   2.   ?    False
   3.   ?    Not in the text
6. Patients will have to repeat three times their desire to die.
   1.   ?    True
   2.   ?    False
   3.   ?    Not in the text
7. Approximately two out of three Dutchmen think that euthanasia should not be considered as a crime.
   1.   ?    True
   2.   ?    False
   3.   ?    Not in the text
8. Holland is the only country in the civilised world to ..... euthanasia
   1.   ?    condemn
   2.   ?    encourage
   3.   ?    shut its eyes to
9. In the text, euthanasia is also called...
   1.   ?    the crown seal
   2.   ?    physician-assisted suicide
   3.   ?    a "lucid" decision