The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre about its view on allowing terminally ill patients to medically contract a “living will” allowing them to end their lives in cases where doctors have formed a view that the patient cannot be medically revived.
Seeking Government’s response by February 1, a Constitution Bench referred to the 241st law Commission report on Passive Euthanasia and sought the view of Government on whether it was open to accept the recommendation for bringing a legal framework on passive euthanasia for terminally ill patients. By the next date, the Court even asked Centre to suggest what steps were taken to abolish Section 309 from IPC that penalised attempt to suicide after Centre announced its resolve in Parliament recently.
The Centre is currently seeking responses from States in this regard.