Terminally ill may win right to choose death

by Louise Nousratpour
Thursday January 5, 2012
The Morning Star

Doctors in England and Wales may for the first time be allowed to help terminally ill people to die after a high-profile commission recommended relaxing the law around assisted suicide today.

A panel of legal and medical experts chaired by former lord chancellor Lord Falconer said adults with less than a year left to live should be able to ask their doctor for a lethal dose of medication.

But stringent safeguards must be in place to protect those who might not have the mental capacity to make such a decision or who might be under pressure from friends or relatives.

The commissioners also stressed that "good quality end-of-life care should be available in all settings."

Lord Falconer, who backs assisted suicide, stopped short of calling for legalisation but said current legislation was "inadequate, incoherent and should not continue."

The year-long probe, which has been mired in a row over impartiality, touched raw ethical nerves in campaigners on both sides of the argument.

Pro-euthanasia activists said its recommendations did not go far enough, calling for laws similar to those in Switzerland, where Dignitas clinics assist terminally ill patients who wish to end their life.

But disability campaigners warned any changes to current legislation would put vulnerable people at risk.

Scope chief executive Richard Hawkes said he had "little confidence that the 'safeguards' would genuinely protect an individual who felt under pressure to end their life."

Royal Association for Disability and Rights chairman Phil Friend added: "In the midst of cuts, we are to believe that the social care budgets would be increased so everyone gets the palliative care they need?

"I'm sorry, I don't believe that."

The commission has also faced accusations of being biased given it was financed by author Terry Pratchett and businessman Bernard Lewis - both staunch supporters of Swiss-style clinics.

Peter Saunders of Care Not Killing claimed that nine of the 11 panel members were "known backers" of legalisation and that medical and legal experts opposed to the idea were not invited to join the panel.

"The overt bias in the structure of the commission is why over 40 organisations including the British Medical Association and many individuals boycotted the inquiry," he said.