‘Help to Die’: The French President backs bill allowing medically assisted death | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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‘Help to Die’: The French President backs bill allowing medically assisted death

Posted 13 Mar 2024

Updated 27 Mar 2024

2 min read

  • It could make France the next European country to legalise euthanasia for the terminally ill patients by allowing them to “choose the path of least resistance when death has already arrived."
  • Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is the practice of ending the life of a patient to limit their suffering. Instead of condemning someone to a slow, painful, or undignified deathit allows one to ‘die with dignity’.
     
  • 2 Types of Euthanasia
    • Active: Involves an active intervention to end a person’s life with substances or external force, such as administering lethal injection.
      • Allowed in Belgium, Canada, etc.
    • Passive: Refers to withdrawal of life support or treatment, such as ventilator, that is essential to keep a terminally ill person alive.
      • Allowed in Austria, Finland, Norway, etc.
         
  • Ethical conundrum with Euthanasia
    • Arguments for: Personal liberty to execute a living will to refuse treatment, right of a dignified life by preventing needless suffering, etc.
    • Arguments against: Devalues human life as taking life is inherently wrong and immoral, against medical ethics of nursing, care giving and healing, etc.

 

Legal status of Euthanasia in India

  • Currently, there is no law on Euthanasia. 
  • Only passive Euthanasia is allowed in India by the Supreme Court (SC).
  • Important Judicial pronouncements
    • Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug vs UoI (2011): SC held passive euthanasia for the first time.
    • Common Cause vs UoI (2018): SC held that a person in persistent vegetative state can opt for passive euthanasia.
      • SC also held that Right to Die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21.
  • Tags :
  • Euthanasia
  • Help to Die
  • Ethical conundrum with Euthanasia
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