CRIMINALISATION OF MEDICAL ERRORS: A DEBATE BETWEEN ETHICS AND PENAL LAW
AUTHOR – T. KAVITHA, STUDENT AT TAMIL NADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY
BEST CITATION – T. KAVITHA, CRIMINALISATION OF MEDICAL ERRORS: A DEBATE BETWEEN ETHICS AND PENAL LAW, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (14) OF 2025, PG. 720-728, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
ABSTRACT
The criminalisation of medical errors has surfaced as one of the most debated topics in modern medical jurisprudence. While the fundamental purpose of criminal law is to penalise socially harmful actions carried out with culpable mental states, the primary goal of medical practice is to safeguard life through ethical, skilled, and compassionate care. The convergence of these two areas ethical medical responsibilities and penal consequences which raises the intricate issues regarding negligence, professional autonomy, patient safety, and the chilling effect on clinical decision-making. In India, this matter has gained increased significance in light of judicial trends that fluctuate between imposing criminal liability on negligent practitioners and acknowledging the necessity to shield them from baseless prosecution. This article thoroughly investigates the conceptual, ethical, and legal aspects of criminalising medical errors, reviews landmark case law, contrasts global approaches, and assesses whether criminal penalties genuinely improve accountability or simply erode medical ethics and the practice of medicine. The study concludes with a well-rounded policy perspective aimed at reconciling patient rights, professional protection, and societal expectations.
Key Words: Medical errors, Negligence, Criminal penalties, Accountability.