Mercy Killing Law and Legal Definition
Mercy killing is the act of putting a person to death painlessly. Victims of mercy killing include persons who are in vegetable state or those who suffer from an incurable and painful disease or condition. In the U.S., Oregon enacted the Death with Dignity Act in 1994 which allows terminally ill patients to end their lives through the voluntary self administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose.
