[Writ Petition (Civil) No. 215 of 2005]. This writ petition, under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, has been filed by Common Cause-a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 engaged in taking up various common problems of the people for securing redressal, praying for declaring 'right to die with dignity' as a fundamental right within the fold of 'right to live with dignity' guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and to issue direction to the respondent, to adopt suitable procedures, in consultation with the State Governments wherever necessary, to ensure that the persons with deteriorated health or terminally ill should be able to execute a document, viz., 'my living will & Attorney authorization' which can be presented to hospital for appropriate action in the event of the executants being admitted to the hospital with serious illness which may threaten termination of life of the executants or in the alternative, issue appropriate guidelines to this effect and to appoint an Expert Committee consisting of doctors, social scientists and lawyers to study into the aspect of issuing guidelines regarding execution of 'Living Wills'.
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