EUTHANASIA: AN ETHICAL DILEMMA

EUTHANASIA: AN ETHICAL DILEMMA

Author: Harsa Srinidhi M, a Student At Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad

Euthanasia is the activity of deliberately ending a person's life to stop their pain and suffering. There are several categories of euthanasia, including voluntary, non-voluntary, and involuntary. Euthanasia that is requested voluntarily by the patient has been legalised in an increasing number of nations. Non-voluntary euthanasia, which can take place in both active and passive forms and happens when a patient's permission is not possible, is permitted in several nations under specific conditions. All nations consider involuntary euthanasia, which is carried out against the patient's will or without their agreement, to be murder. The moral, ethical, and legal implications of euthanasia are the subject of heated public debate in various nations.

There are two types of euthanasia permitted by Indian law: active and passive. Active euthanasia practises, such as the administration of lethal drugs, are still prohibited in India while being permitted in several other countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. Since the Supreme Court's rulings in Aruna Shanbaug (2011), Common Cause (2018), and an order modifying the instructions provided in Common Cause (2023), passive euthanasia (more popularly known as withholding and/or removal of life support) has been lawful in India under a certain set of conditions. Patients must be either terminally sick or in a vegetative state, and they must provide their agreement through a living will. In January 2023, the Supreme Court streamlined and relaxed its procedural rules.

It is essential first to comprehend all the factors that influence how a person would see euthanasia in order to comprehend how Indian medical experts consider it. Rather than a person's religion, a doctor's level of religiosity is more critical in determining that person's beliefs since more religious medical professionals say that euthanasia is wrong and would go against their belief system. In Hinduism, euthanasia is seen from two different angles. It is said that ending a miserable existence is a good action,  although, the fact that doing so is viewed as going against the Vedic cycle of life and death and believed that it will cause the participants to inherit the patient's incomplete karma. The Islamic community prohibits euthanasia because they believe that since every human life originates with God, people cannot end their own lives. Euthanasia is prohibited according to religious doctrine. The issue of euthanasia is one on which various Christian groups hold different opinions. It is principally the Roman Catholic Church that supports the Catholics' condemnation of the entire act, stating that it is a crime against God and life. On the other hand, protestants have begun to take a more liberal stance towards euthanasia as a result of the efforts of several individuals in favour, as well as the implementation of a more liberalised framework. Buddhism holds a broad range of opinions on euthanasia. Buddhism emphasises compassion, and as a result, there have been instances where people have been let to die in order to ease their agony. Despite this, in certain sects, it has been seen as a failure for a monk to support death, even out of compassion. The concept of Sallekhana, or voluntary dying, is supported by Jainism. This is advised for householders and monks, but it can only be done if the person has rid himself of all desires and the desire to neither live nor die. It must be carried out while in a conscious mental state to avoid being referred to as suicide. 

Doctors and other professionals take an oath not to kill a patient voluntarily or not intentionally. This means that healthcare workers, including doctors, are trained to treat a patient if doing so will save their life. A patient's death cannot be hastened or prevented by asking medical personnel to stop providing care. Simply put, it goes against their ethical and professional codes of conduct. While euthanasia is currently thought to be the only viable option for a patient when all medical advances and treatments have been tried in vain, and there is no treatment or cure, the patient can end their own life if there are no indications of a "better life." Euthanasia was referred to as "intentional Homicide" under the common law system, which was considered an act motivated by pity and mercy. It was criminalised and ranked second to murder in terms of the severity of offences.