{"id":34348,"date":"2024-12-27T17:43:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T12:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=34348"},"modified":"2024-12-27T17:43:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T12:13:28","slug":"legalising-assisted-dying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/27-12-2024\/legalising-assisted-dying","title":{"rendered":"Britain\u2019s Parliament Voted for Legalising Assisted Dying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity\/Health\/GS4\/Ethics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Britain\u2019s House of Commons voted by a majority to<strong> legalise assisted dying<\/strong> \u2014 a less controversial synonym for assisted suicide in England and Wales.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Bill seeks to give terminally ill, mentally competent adults who have less than six months to live a reliable method of forecasting survival.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Any such request must be authorised by two doctors and a High Court judge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Current Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Suicide, (self-inflicted death), or attempted suicide are not in themselves criminal offences in England and Wales.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conversely, an act that encourages or assists a person to commit suicide or attempted suicide is a criminal offence that carries a 14-year prison sentence under the 1961 Assistive Suicide Act.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advocates<\/strong> regard the new Bill as a <strong>humane and compassionate intervention<\/strong> that brings closure to a painful dependence on the immediate family.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opponents<\/strong> are apprehensive that the severely disabled and vulnerable patients may feel forced to end their lives to relieve the burden on relatives.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Assisted Dying?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Assisted dying refers to the <strong>act of helping someone intentionally end their life, <\/strong>typically to relieve suffering from a terminal illness or severe, untreatable pain.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>There are two main forms:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Assisted Suicide: <\/strong>A person, with the help of a medical professional or another person, takes their own life, usually by consuming a prescribed lethal dose of medication.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-09-2024\/ground-realities-of-passive-euthanasia-in-india\"><strong>Euthanasia<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> A doctor or healthcare provider actively administers a lethal substance to end the life of a patient, typically at their request, to relieve extreme suffering.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The practice of assisted dying is highly controversial and is legal in only a few countries or regions, with strict guidelines and regulations where it is permitted.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Switzerland was the first country which in 1942 legalised assisted dying. Later on the U.S., Australia and New Zealand enacted related legislations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Canada\u2019s 2016 Medical Assistance in Dying law may be availed even by those whose condition is not terminal.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the position in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Supreme Court had in <strong>2018 legalised passive euthanasia,<\/strong> contingent upon the person having a \u201cliving will\u201d.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SC held that the<strong> \u2018right to die with dignity\u2019<\/strong> forms a part of the <strong>right to life under Article 21 <\/strong>of the Constitution of India.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>living will is a written document<\/strong> that specifies the<strong> actions to be taken if the person is <\/strong>unable to make their own medical decisions in the future.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Goa is the first state that has formalised,<\/strong> to some extent, the implementation of directives issued by the Supreme Court.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recently, the <strong>Health Ministry released draft guidelines<\/strong> on withdrawing medical support for terminally ill patients.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These specify that doctors must refrain from initiating life-support measures when they offer no benefit to the patient and are likely to cause suffering and a loss of dignity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments in Favour of Assisted Dying<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Autonomy and Choice:<\/strong> Individuals should have the right to make decisions about their own lives, including the choice to end it to avoid prolonged suffering.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relief from Suffering:<\/strong> Assisted dying provides a compassionate option for those with terminal illnesses or unbearable pain, allowing them to die with dignity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Quality of Life:<\/strong> For some, the quality of life may deteriorate to a point where death is seen as a better option than living with constant suffering or loss of independence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Respect for Individual Rights: <\/strong>People should have control over their bodies and lives, including the decision to end their life in a humane and controlled manner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments Against Assisted Dying<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Moral and Ethical Concerns: <\/strong>Many believe that taking a life, even at the person&#8217;s request, is morally wrong and goes against the sanctity of life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Risk of Abuse: <\/strong>Vulnerable individuals, such as those with mental health issues or pressure from family, may be coerced into choosing assisted dying.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Medical Ethics: <\/strong>Healthcare professionals are traditionally bound to preserve life, and assisted dying may conflict with the fundamental role of doctors in healing and care.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alternative Solutions: <\/strong>Advocates argue that palliative care and pain management can provide relief, making assisted dying unnecessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stronger Regulations:<\/strong> Implementing strict legal safeguards to ensure it is only available to those who meet specific criteria.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Palliative Care Expansion: <\/strong>Improving access to high-quality palliative care to address suffering and reduce the demand for assisted dying.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public Debate:<\/strong> Ongoing discussions about the moral, legal, and ethical implications of assisted dying, can be considered while framing the guidelines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Perspective: <\/strong>Countries may look to those with legal assisted dying frameworks (e.g., the Netherlands, Canada) for guidance on effective regulation and safeguards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mental Health Support: <\/strong>Providing psychological evaluations to prevent coercion or impulsive decisions and ensure informed consent is given.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/international\/should-assisted-dying-be-legalised-in-uk-explained\/article69029754.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Britain\u2019s House of Commons voted by a majority to legalise assisted dying \u2014 a less controversial synonym for assisted suicide in England and Wales.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34348"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34349,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34348\/revisions\/34349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}