Lord Falconer is an ardent campaigner for assisted suicide. Last Friday he read his latest bill to the House of Lords, insisting that the change to the law would only apply to people with six months or more to live. Only those judged as “mentally able to make the decision” could opt for this option, and their choice would need approval from two doctors and the High Court.
Really? How long before the scope is extended to include almost everyone, as it has in other places where assisted suicide is legal?
Lord Falconer says he rejects the approach taken by Belgium and the Netherlands, where assisted dying is legally available for almost anyone who requests it (and some who don’t, as Hull University found in 2015 where hospital doctors had euthanised 13,000 elderly patients based on their subjective view of their quality of life.)
Where the scope of the law has been extended it has affected medical provision for patients. In Canada, people are being offered MaiD – medical assistant in dying, instead of help with medical treatment. Hastening death saves £millions for health systems.
Revd Sarah Mullaly who serves as the joint lead bishop on healthcare for the Church of England pointed out, “No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society, should there be a change in the law allowing for assisted suicide. We believe that there would be unintended, serious and fundamental consequences for the whole of society, especially for those who are at the most vulnerable point of their lives, and for those who love and care for them.”
She added, “Throughout my long career in the NHS as a nurse, every day I could see the paramount importance of compassion and dignity for those coming towards the end of their lives.
“In the Church of England, we believe that the priority for those who are terminally ill must be to provide urgent funding and resourcing of palliative care services, to ensure the highest possible standards of care for all. This should include action to ensure that our hospices receive the level of state funding that they are so badly lacking at present.
Former psychiatrist Mark Blackwell reflects the fears of people with disabilities and frailties of old age should assisted suicide become legal. Mark is living with Parkinson’s disease and the after-effects of a severe stroke. said he fears legalised assisted suicide. He said, ‘At one stage I wanted to die’, but with the right support, he found meaning in his life – meaning that legalised assisted suicide would imperil. ‘ If assisted dying is legalised, it would make me feel that my life and my suffering are a waste of time. It would make me feel I am a burden for [my wife] Eppie and my children; I would lose respect for myself,’ he said.
Private Members’ Bills rarely pass in the House of Lords, but Lord Falconer hopes a similar bill will be introduced in the Commons, where it might have better prospects. For the bill to become law, the government must allocate debate time, a commitment made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. He has also promised that MPs will have a free vote, allowing them to decide based on personal beliefs.
How can we take a stand against this move? MPs take notice of what’s in their Inboxes – so we can send a simple email asking them to vote against it. And we can pray! ‘ The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results,’ says James 5:16. Let’s do it!
