EUTHANASIA was contrary to the ideals of justice and charity and would corrupt society, a Catholic bishop has warned the legal fraternity.

The Bishop of Parramatta, Anthony Fisher, used a service at St Mary's Cathedral yesterday attended by the NSW Attorney-General, John Hatzistergos, the shadow attorney-general, Greg Smith, and leading judges and barristers, to warn that ''state-sanctioned killing'' undermined the legitimacy of the state and its criminal law.

Start of the legal year ... the Red Mass yesterday. Credit:Dean Sewell

''Even were such a proposal to gain a parliamentary majority this would not make it right,'' he said.

''Bad laws are mostly made by bad people and in turn make people bad.''