Supreme Court to Hear Historic Plea on Passive Euthanasia for Rabies Patients

The Supreme Court is set to hear a pivotal petition advocating for passive euthanasia for rabies patients, highlighting the disease's 100% fatality rate and severe symptoms. Filed by NGO All Creatures Great and Small, the plea seeks an exception within existing legal provisions for terminally ill individuals.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliberate on a public interest litigation (PIL) advocating for the right to passive euthanasia for individuals suffering from rabies.

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran agreed to address the petition, brought forward by the NGO All Creatures Great and Small, after it was mentioned for listing on February 10. The petition, initially filed in 2019, subsequently received notice from the top court in 2020, requiring responses from the health and environment ministries.

The NGO's plea seeks to establish a procedure wherein rabies patients, given the disease's 100% fatality rate, can opt for physician-assisted dying. The Supreme Court's 2018 judgment, affirming the right to life includes the right to die, legalized passive euthanasia for terminally ill patients, allowing them dignified exits through living wills. However, the NGO argues rabies' extreme symptoms merit special consideration within this legal framework.