“The current law exists to protect those who are sick, elderly, depressed, or disabled from feeling obliged to end their lives. It requires every case to be reviewed by the police and the DPP to determine whether a prosecution is appropriate. The present law protects those who have no voice against exploitation and coercion, acts as a powerful deterrent to would-be abusers and gives discretion to judges to temper justice with mercy in hard cases. The current law does not need changing.”
Dr Peter Saunders, Campaign Director of Care Not Killing
The Commission finds that there is a strong case for providing the choice of assisted dying for terminally ill people. Even with skilled end of life care,
the Commission finds that a comparatively small number of people who are terminally ill experience a degree of su+ering towards the end of their life,
which they consider can only be relieved either by the ending of their life, or by the knowledge that they can end their life at a time of their own choosing.
Download (free) the Commission on Assisted Dying report here.
Isns’t it revolting how often in our social and political discourse a snappy title is found which crudifies your opponents’ argument and polarises opinion. “Killing.” As opposed to “Care.” And the man is a Doctor.
Seems to me we’re still a long way from reasoned debate on this topic.
I agree. Most Doctor’s routinely overdose patients in the final hours or days of terminal illness. It’s another taboo that should be openly discussed. If we could find a way around the cliché, perhaps we funeral directors could play a greater advisory role in end of life management?