| Syllabus: GS-II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Rights Issues, Issue: End of life bill |
Context: President Emmanuel Macron said that he backed new end-of-life legislation.
- He said he did not want to call the new legislation euthanasia or assisted suicide, but rather “help to die”.
Euthanasia:
- Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering.
There are two main types of euthanasia:
- Active euthanasia is when a doctor or other medical professional takes steps to deliberately end a patient’s life, such as by lethal injection.
- Passive euthanasia is when a doctor allows a patient to die by withholding or withdrawing treatment, such as stopping life support.
Euthanasia in India:
- Aruna Shanbaug case(2011):
- The Supreme Court recognized passive euthanasia and allowed withdrawal of life support for terminally ill patients who cannot make informed decisions.
- Common Cause v Union of India(2018):
- The Supreme Court recognised the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right and prescribed guidelines for terminally ill patients to enforce the right.
- In 2023 the Supreme Court modified the guidelines to make the right to die with dignity more accessible.
