{"id":34640,"date":"2018-10-31T12:37:29","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T07:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=34640"},"modified":"2018-10-31T12:37:29","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T07:07:29","slug":"sc-to-frame-norms-for-drafting-living-wills-the-will-to-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/sc-to-frame-norms-for-drafting-living-wills-the-will-to-die\/","title":{"rendered":"SC to frame norms for drafting \u2018living wills\u2019:&#038; The will to die:\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/todays-paper\/tp-national\/sc-to-frame-norms-for-drafting-living-wills\/article19842174.ece\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SC to frame norms for drafting \u2018living wills\u2019<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><b>&amp; <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/todays-paper\/tp-opinion\/the-will-to-die\/article19842117.ece\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The will to die<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Context<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the medical board will affirm that the patient\u2019s condition is beyond cure and irreversible only then <\/span><b>advance directive<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to withdraw medical care to <\/span><b>allow him to die <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with dignity should take effect, Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra made a statement on allowing Euthanasia.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is the debate?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Chief Justice, heading a five-judge Constitution Bench, was responding to a debate on when exactly a person\u2019s \u201c<\/span><b>living will<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d or advance directive for end-of-life medical care should take effect.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court was hearing a petition by an NGO, <\/span><b>Common Cause<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to legalise <\/span><b>euthanasia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><b>concept of living will.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is the final verdict and suggestions?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Guidelines for drafting living wills <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and how it could be authenticated will be laid down. The Supreme Court has reserved the case for judgement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advance directives may be approved by a Magistrate<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The Magistrate has to examine that the person executing the living will is of sound mind or not.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A certificate from a statutory medical board<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that a patient\u2019s condition was beyond cure and irreversible would take care of apprehensions of relatives and doctors about withdrawing life support.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The medical board will be taking this decision impartially and on the touchstone of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">modern technology.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Constitution Bench suggested framing guidelines for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">setting up medical boards in every district<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The decision of the board would be<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> final<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and an advance directive should yield to the board\u2019s decision.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two-fold test<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also suggested as to when living will would come into effect. One, when the medical condition of the patient has become <\/span><b>irreversible<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Two, when the prolongation of his life can be done only at the cost of pain and suffering which is at a level inconsistent with his advance directive.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Government\u2019s rebuttal<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government maintains that the legalization of \u201cadvance directives\u201d would amount to the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">waiving of the paramount fundamental right to life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allowing passive euthanasia opposes the concept of living will as a principle of public policy. It said the State\u2019s primary obligation was to sustain life and not legalize a person\u2019s wish to die.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government is rightly concerned that the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">idea may be misused<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and result in the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">neglect of the elderly. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government is finalizing a draft law on passive euthanasia called \u2018<\/span><b>The Management of Patients With Terminal Illness <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 Withdrawal of Medical Life Support Bill.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This bill comes under the light of <\/span><b>the Law Commission of India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which recommends that life support can be withdrawn for patients in persistent vegetative state (PVS) or suffering an irreversible medical condition.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is euthanasia? What is Passive euthanasia?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Euthanasia <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. There are different euthanasia laws in each country. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Voluntary euthanasia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is conducted with the consent of the patient. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Non-voluntary euthanasia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is conducted when the consent of the patient is unavailable. It is illegal worldwide.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Involuntary euthanasia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is conducted against the will of the patient. This is also illegal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Passive euthanasia <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the subdivision of Voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Passive euthanasia involves the withdrawing of treatment or food that would allow the patient to live.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is a living will?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A living will is a concept associated with passive euthanasia. It is a legal document that allows one to express their wishes to doctors in case you become incapacitated.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a living will, one can outline whether or not you want your life to be artificially prolonged in the event of a devastating illness or injury.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can give invaluable guidance to family members and healthcare professionals if a person can\u2019t express his or her wishes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Passive euthanasia in Indian constitution:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In March 2011, the Supreme Court of India passed a historic judgement-law permitting Passive Euthanasia in the country.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court specified two irreversible conditions to permit Passive Euthanasia Law in its 2011 Law:<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The brain-dead for whom the ventilator can be switched off and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) for whom the feed can be tapered out and pain-managing palliatives are added.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the case of Aruna Shanbaug&#8217;s euthanasia, the Supreme Court laid the following guidelines:<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A decision has to be taken to discontinue life support either by the parents or the spouse or other close relatives, or in the absence of any of them, such a decision can be taken even by a person or a body of persons acting as a next friend.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if a decision is taken by the near relatives or doctors or next friend to withdraw life support, such a decision requires approval from the High Court concerned.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When such an application is filled the Chief Justice of the High Court should forthwith constitute a Bench of at least two Judges who should decide to grant approval or not.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SC to frame norms for drafting \u2018living wills\u2019:&amp; The will to die:\u00a0 Context If the medical board will affirm that the patient\u2019s condition is beyond cure and irreversible only then advance directive to withdraw medical care to allow him to die with dignity should take effect, Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra made a statement&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/sc-to-frame-norms-for-drafting-living-wills-the-will-to-die\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">SC to frame norms for drafting \u2018living wills\u2019:&#038; The will to die:\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-test-1","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704881744},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34640\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}