Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>The laws concerning voluntary euthanasia have been changing in countries throughout the world in recent times, overwhelmingly moving in the direction of decriminalizing or legalizing this practice. The role of psychology in these emerging legal systems is discussed and ways in which healthcare professionals might address the challenges in decision making. We describe the legal and ethical frameworks in two countries, Portugal where it has recently been legalized, and the United Kingdom where it has not. We describe two models that show how human rights and ethical reasoning can be used to ensure as far as possible that people at the end of life are treated with dignity and respect, consistent with their human rights.</jats:p>