- The doctor is obliged to notify the municipal pathologist
of every instance of death from non-natural causes. In the case
of euthanasia or assisted suicide, he compiles a report based
on a special model.
- The pathologist also compiles a report establishing that
the patient's death was due to non-natural causes. He sends
this to the Public Prosecutor, who must give consent for
burial.
- The regional euthanasia review committee receives these two
reports, plus a statement by the independent physician
consulted by the doctor and any written directive by the
deceased.
- The committee assesses whether the doctor has acted in
accordance with the due care criteria. If it concludes that he
has, no further action is taken against him.
- If the committee finds that the doctor has not acted in
accordance with the due care criteria, it reports its findings
to the Public Prosecution Service and the regional health
inspector. These two agencies will then consider what action,
if any, should be taken against the doctor.
An important feature of the legislation is that the regional
review committees (each of which includes a doctor) have
discretion to decide whether or not a doctor has satisfied the
due care criteria. The reason for this is that research has shown
that doctors are more likely to report cases of euthanasia if
their own peers have a hand in the initial review of them.
Otherwise, they feel that they face the threat of immediate
condemnation by the Public Prosecution Service.