Supreme Court to pronounce verdict on passive euthanasia today

The Supreme Court today will announce its verdict on passive euthanasia after hearing a plea that seeks to legalise the protocol. Passive euthanasia gives a terminally ill patient the right to choose not to sustain life through the artificial support system. 

The option is made available only to the terminally ill who are at the last stage of their life without any hope of recovery or improvement. 

A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, will decide whether passive euthanasia should be legalised. If passed, a terminally ill will now be able to decide if his/her life should not be prolonged with the help of life support or a ventilator.

"The apex court, however, had observed that there should be adequate safeguards. Implementation of 'living will' would be subject to medical board's certifying that the patient's comatose state is irreversible," PTI reported. 

A person's 'living will' is a written document that allows a patient to give a detailed account of the medical treatment to be administered to him/her when the person is terminally ill and with no chances of natural survival or recovery.

The plea to the Supreme Court has been filed by the NGO group 'Common Cause'. 

(With inputs from PTI)