Could the debate on the DPP’s Policy change the law?
In advance of Tuesday’s debate on the DPP’s Policy, the question arises: does the debate on the Policy carry the implication that the law in England and Wales could change on assisted suicide?
In advance of Tuesday’s debate on the DPP’s Policy, the question arises: does the debate on the Policy carry the implication that the law in England and Wales could change on assisted suicide?
This week the Oregon Health Authority released its annual figures on assisted dying. In Oregon, the Death with Dignity Act (DWDA) allows terminally-ill adults to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of a life-ending medication after they satisfied a series of checks and safeguards (similar to the system Dignity in Dying campaigns for).
Many of us at Dignity in Dying were privileged to have known Kelly Taylor, who died on 27th February. Davina and I were also privileged to have been welcomed to a celebration of her life this week.
It has been a long time coming, but MPs are now set to debate the law and the current guidance on assistance to die on Tuesday 27 March. This is the first time that the issue will have been discussed in the Chamber of the House of Commons for over 15 years.
An article in yesterday’s Daily Mail (Give up chemo? No way. I owe it to my children to fight for every day of life), features three terminally ill people discussing their end-of-life treatment decisions. This follows Dr Martin Scurr’s piece last week where he said if he were dying he would choose not to have aggressive treatment.
Eric MacDonald, of the Choice in Dying blog, has recently written some interesting posts attacking the Commission on Assisted Dying (COAD) and Dignity in Dying (DiD). He believes both organsiations are mistaken and incoherent in believing assistance to die should be legalized for terminally ill adults only.
Dr Williams, in his address to the Church of England General Synod earlier in the week, criticised attempts to legalise assisted dying. His criticisms are not backed by objective evidence and encourage apprehension and fear in vulnerable groups.
The weekend witnessed some rather confusing coverage of a Council of Europe resolution on respecting patients’ wishes. The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail told readers that the Council of Europe had ruled that “euthanasia and assisted suicide should be banned in every country in the continent”.
Research has been published which demonstrates that appropriate planning of end-of-life care can increase the likelihood of a patient being able to die at home, rather than spending their last days and weeks of life in hospital.
Both myself and Anna Boehm have spoken about assisted dying at two recent events. Firstly, I spoke to the University College London Secular Society about what Dignity in Dying does, the key arguments for and against the legalisation of assisted dying, research evidence which demonstrates that assisted dying can work effectively, and some case studies which highlight why the law needs to change in the UK. Anna spoke to the Cambridge Humanists about similar issues.