What Is Living Will?
Justice M.S. Sonak, of the Bombay High Court’s Goa Bench, became the first person in Goa to register a “living will”—an advance medical directive specifying actions for when he cannot make decisions
- A living will is a written document where a person outlines their medical treatment preferences in advance, to be followed if they become incapacitated or unable to communicate.
- It’s a voluntary decision.
- The Supreme Court, in the Common Cause vs. Union of India & Anr. (2018) case, ruled that a person in a persistent vegetative state can opt for passive euthanasia, such as withdrawing life support.
- A living will allows individuals to refuse medical treatment in the event of a terminal illness.
- Goa is the first state to implement these directives formally.
- The living will must be drafted in the presence of two witnesses, certified by a gazetted officer or notary, and sent to the District Collector for safekeeping.
