Supreme Court says 'people's court' should decide on euthanasia, 'Living Will'

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any order on passive euthanasia and said Parliament, or “people's court”, should decide on its legality.

The court also left it on Parliament to take a call on the right of terminally-ill persons to execute 'Living Will' not to prolong their lives by putting them on life support systems.

The Centre accepted the court's observation and said the issue was complex.

It even gave an example in the court on complexities involved in taking a person's life and said Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is “being kept alive for years in the hope he will wake up from his coma one day”, The Hindu reported.

 

The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Anil R Dave, posted the next heaing to July 20 till when it will wait with an “unwritten hope” of the government or Parliament finalising the law on passive euthanasia.

“Ultimately it is whether you want a verdict from this court or a ‘people’s court's’ verdict. Such issues are better decided by the people's court,” Justice Kurian Joseph said.

Additional Solicitor General PS Patwalia opposed the plea of NGO Common Cause and its advocate Prashant Bhushan that the court should consider and pass an order at least on the limited issue of Living Will, till a legislation is enacted.

The bench was also of the view that "it is something which should be debated in peoples' court, i.e. Parliament."