Euthanasia is a deliberate act intended to cause the death of a patient, at that patient's request, for what he or she sees as being in his or her best interest. Because a request for euthanasia is necessarily at the request of a patient, a request for euthanasia is a right that all individuals should enjoy. In Australia, as in many other parts of the world, such issues are hotly debated. Regrettably, many people suffer as a result of government policies that are driven primarily, unfortunately, by religious ideology. The following articles form the basis of a Submission to the Australian Senate's Inquiry into the Rights of the Terminally Ill (Euthanasia Laws Repeal Bill) 2008 by the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.