Vishrut Sharma, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla
INTRODUCTION
Every person wishes to live his or her life to the fullest and for the longest possible time. However, there are some conditions in which the same person wishes to end his life. A person's life can be ended by suicide or euthanasia. Whereas the former is completely illegal in India, the latter would be debatable. As per Merriam-Webster, euthanasia is "the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless manner for reasons of mercy." It can also be viewed as ‘mercy killing’. As per this practice, the victim, or anyone acting on his behalf, prefers death for himself, largely due to the victim's medical conditions, and is then executed by anyone else.
This is done purely to end the victim's life, freeing him from fatal disease, unbearable suffering, and the suffering and pain of life. Euthanasia has long been a source of contention, not only in our country, but throughout the world. While some countries have legalized Euthanasia, both active and passive, others have taken a different stance, partially legalizing it while others have completely banned and condemned the practice of suicide or, in this case, Euthanasia.In this assignment, I will discuss the Writ Petition filed by the Common Cause Society in the Supreme Court regarding the Euthanasia debacle and its legality in our country.
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