Title: Euthanasia in theRepublicofPoland: criminal and legal regulation
Abstract: Article is devoted to the nature and content of the crime under art. 150 "Murder by euthanasia" of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Poland . Analyzed issues related with objective and subjective features composition of this crime and the appointment of more lenient punishment and the right of the court not to impose punishment on the guilty person. It is noted that the right of the court not to impose punishment on the guilty person for this crime is a novelty of the legal regulation of liability for this criminal offense. This right may be exercised only in exceptional cases. Such exceptional cases, in the doctrine of Polish criminal law, include particularly strong pressure on the perpetrator of the motive of compassion for the victim, as well as justified reasons for such compassion. It is emphasized that this crime refers to crimes with a common subject. Therefore, the subject of this crime can be any person who is endowed with all the characteristics of the subject of the crime, not just medical professionals. However, in the case where such a crime was committed by inaction, in accordance with Art. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Poland, the subject of this crime can only be a person who, in accordance with the provisions of the law was obliged to take action to prevent the consequences in the form of death. It has been found that, on the subjective side, murder by euthanasia can only be committed intentionally. However, the doctrine of Polish criminal law discusses the question of whether a crime is committed only with direct intent, and whether it can be committed with indirect intent. The author emphasizes that the definition of murder by euthanasia as a privileged composition of premeditated murder takes into account its peculiarities, elated to its moral aspect and society's perception of such murder, as well as its appreciation of the victim's suffering, compassion and death as a consequence and meets the principle of justice.