March 09, 2018: In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court today allowed the ‘living will’ made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra on a petition seeking recognition of the ‘living will’, allowed passive euthanasia for patients with terminal-illness, with guidelines and procedures.
The bench, comprising justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan also laid down guidelines as to who would execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board.
The top court said that directions and guidelines laid down by it and its directive shall remain in force till a legislation is brought on the issue. The ‘living will’ is a concept where a man or woman decides in much advance whether he or she wants to be kept on life support or vegetative condition, in case of a terminal illness. (AIR News)
