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Despite the connection between criminal law and ethics, many lawyers find it problematic to use ethics as their guide. They fear that applying morality may lead to the false impression that law may be overridden. Although understandable, it overlooks the fact that using a normative framework can also be meaningful. This is for instance the case with euthanasia, the active termination of life (or assisted suicide) by physicians at a patient’s voluntary and well-informed request because of unbearable suffering without any prospect of improvement. By means of the question ‘can an illegal act still be just?’, this article addresses the collision between ethics and criminal law. Inspired by the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas this article focuses on how the concept of legal responsibility in euthanasia cases can be deepened by means of ethics, whilst still acknowledging that legal rules must be complied with.