ABOUT THE DISCUSSION

Join us for a discussion on Common Cause v Union of India, in which the Supreme Court of India recognised the right to die with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution and gave legal recognition to advance medical directives. In 2024, the Supreme Court also released orders to simplify the process for executing the advance medical directives. These decisions have profoundly impacted the fields of critical and palliative care, empowering individuals to exercise autonomy over their end-of-life choices.

This panel discussion is being hosted as a part of the Great Cases series under Vidhi’s collaboration with the India International Centre on The Working of the Indian Constitution. The discussion will focus on the legal journey that brought us to this landmark inflection point, how the medical and legal communities can better understand one another, and the broader legal, ethical, medical and societal issues surrounding end-of-life care.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Justice Ajay Rastogi is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India.  

Dr. R.K. Mani is the Chairman, Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonology, at Yashoda Super Specialty Hospital.

Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar is a Professor & Head Department of Onco-Ansesthesia, Pain and Palliative care, AIIMS, New Delhi.

Parth Sharma is a community physician and public health researcher.

Dr. Dhvani Mehta, Co-Founder and Lead, Health, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, will be moderating the discussion.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

06:00 – 06:05 PM – Welcome and Introduction

06:05 – 06:15 PM – Opening remarks by Justice Ajay Rastogi

06:15 – 06:55 PM – Moderated conversations with all speakers

06:55 – 07:15 PM – Question and Answer Session