Culture and Law

The answer to legal questions related to the end of life is subject to strong cultural and religious influences. Medical, philosophical and historical aspects must also be taken into account. Because of the close connection between law and culture, countries with different cultural and religious backgrounds were selected for a comparative study on end-of-life issues. In France, Germany and Switzerland with a continental legal system, in Great Britain with a common law system, in India and Japan, the different religions and cultures exert an important influence on the modernisation of the relevant legislation. The book deals with recent changes in the law and developments in the countries included in the study.