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Explainer: How a living will can give the right to die with dignity

Assisted dying for terminally-ill is now legal in several countries. In India, the concept of passive euthanasia is in a nascent stage, but states are implementing the ‘living will’ option

Renu Sud Sinha

Updated At : 07:34 AM Dec 13, 2025 IST

Living will is a legal document in which a person of sound mind can specify his/her medical care preferences and conditions for discontinuing life support in case of any adverse or critical medical problem. Istock

Diagnosed with prostate cancer more than a year ago and then with Alzheimer’s disease, Canadian diplomat David Malone recently opted for the country’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) programme. His decision to choose death sparked off global conversation around this voluntary way to die.

The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.

The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia

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Explainer: How a living will can give the right to die with dignity

Assisted dying for terminally-ill is now legal in several countries. In India, the concept of passive euthanasia is in a nascent stage, but states are implementing the ‘living will’ option

Renu Sud Sinha

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