Mental Health Vis-À-Vis Euthanasia

Abstract

Mental health issues is a major concern across the globe nowadays since the number of cases of mental illness is increasing day by day. In order to go in line with the international law on protection of people suffering from mental illness, India has enacted the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 to provide the rights to the mentally affected people and suffering from mental illness. The Act gives the right to people who are currently not suffering from any mental illness to execute an Advance Directive as to what should be done if he falls mentally ill. He also has the right to nominate a representative who would be entitled to take decisions on behalf of the patient if the patient is not in a condition to do so. This article aims to study the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 in light with the law on euthanasia in India and whether the law in the country is sufficient to protect the people suffering from mental illness.