NEWS – Justice M S Sonak of the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court became the first person in Goa to register a “living will” making Goa first state to implement, operationalise ‘living will’

HIGHLIGHTS

• A “living will” is an advance medical directive for when a person cannot make their own decisions
• Justice Sonak made the registration at an event organized by the Goa branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Goa State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA).

LEGAL BACKGROUND

• In 2018, the Supreme Court of India legalized passive euthanasia, requiring a “living will.”
• A living will is a document specifying medical actions when a person cannot make their own decisions.
• The Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia for terminally-ill patients in a permanent vegetative state and issued guidelines for the procedure.
• In 2023, the Supreme Court simplified the process for passive euthanasia by revising guidelines for living wills.

PROCEDURE FOR LIVING WILL IN GOA

• To make a living will, a person must draft it in the presence of two witnesses.
• The will must be certified by a gazetted officer or a notary and forwarded to the main Mamlatdar of the taluka.
• The Mamlatdar sends it to the nodal officer appointed by the District Collector for safe custody.