SC removes magistrate-nod rider to prepare ‘living will’

Subject : Polity

Section :Constitution

Concept :

The Supreme Court has removed the condition that managed a magistrate’s approval for withdrawal or withholding of life support to a terminally ill person.
The Supreme Court has modified its order in the 2018 judgement on passive euthanasia.
With the modified order, the Court aims to make the procedure of removal of (or withholding) life support from terminally ill patients less cumbersome for the patients, their families and the doctors by limiting the role played by government officials.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a practice under which a person intentionally ends their life with active assistance from others.
Several European nations, some states in Australia and Colombia in South America allow assisted suicide and euthanasia under certain circumstances.
Active:
Active euthanasia, which is legal in only a few countries, entails the use of substances to end the life of the patient.
Passive:
It involves simply stopping lifesaving treatment or medical intervention with the consent of the patient or a family member or a close friend representing the patient.

What is ‘Living Will’?

The “living will” is a person’s right to issue advance directive on the course of his/her treatment, including withdrawal of life support, should such a situation arise.
However, there is no way a living will provision can be made fool-proof requiring no intervention of the doctor or immediate decisionmakers around a person.