Mercy killing (sometimes referred to as euthanasia) is when someone directly ends another person’s life, because they believe it is in their best interest in order to relieve pain and suffering from an incurable or terminal condition. The term ‘mercy killing’ is used to describe both situations where a person asked for their life to be ended, and where they did not. Under the current law, anybody who ends the life of another can be charged with murder and would face mandatory life imprisonment if found guilty – even if the act is a compassionate response to a dying person’s request for help to die.