Please note that these are my views, along with those from several disabled people’s campaign groups and organisations, on the legality of taking one’s own life with the assistance of a medical professional..
I appreciate that this just represents one side of the debate in assisted dying/suicide becoming enshrined in law.
Many others support/ed the change in the law and I respect their viewpoint.
Barbara Roberts, Vice Chair SHA and Disability Labour activist.
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Over the past few decades assisted dying or suicide has been legalalised in several countries around the globe. It has been legal to take one’s own life with help in Switzerland since 1941. The Dignitas Clinic was founded on the 17th May 1998. Swiss laws provide that assistance to suicide is legal as long as it is not driven by selfish motives.
Since then around 350 Britons have taken themselves to the Dignitas clinic to end their own lives in this manner.
In the UK a great many people, especially disabled people, have had grave concerns over the safeguarding requirements associated with assisted suicide, if legalised here.
Baroness Jane Campbell (co-founder of the Not Dead Yet movement) has likened this latest attempt at legalisation to “Ground Hog Day”. There’s previously been five attempts to have an assisted dying bill passed in Parliament.
The last attempt was during the COVID pandemic (remember how many people, people with complex health issues and disabilities, were hospitalised with the virus and unbeknown to them had DNRs – Do Not Resuscitate – orders placed on their hospital jackets). This attempt also (thankfully) fell.
Note that in Nazi Germany disabled people were termed “useless eaters”. At least 275,000 people were euthanised.
So in October of this autumn the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater brought her EDM – Early Day Motion – to Parliament in another attempt to have an assisted suicide bill passed. Her bill contained 43 clauses and 6 schedules at a second reading.
Described as – “An Inevitably progressive illness, disease or medical condition which cannot be reversed by treatment and that the persons death could be expected within 6 months”
Disabled campaign group DPAC – Disabled People Against Cuts – have warned that doctors often get such estimates wrong with a terminal illness.
The DDPO – Deaf, Disabled People’s Organisation- Inclusion London are deeply concerned.
They warned that after 14 years of Tory imposed austerity and broken public services, with patients waiting for months to receive pain management support and finding that social care support is non-existent or cut to a bare minimum and with so many disabled people left to struggle in poverty, then choosing to die may be the only viable option left open to them.
As previously mentioned we’ve seen how disabled people’s lives were treated with lesser value during the pandemic. Having DNRs placed on them with no consult with themselves or their loved ones. There was even a list of conditions where resuscitation shouldn’t be attempted. This included those with neurodiverse conditions and mental health problems.
Safeguarding concerns –
There’s a well founded fear that this bill will be passed too quickly in order to please the electorate.
Baroness Campbell has been studying the effect of assisted suicide for nearly two decades. She’s called on MPs not to “sleepwalk into something that you’ll regret” (in future)
Doctors have warned that assisted suicide would undermine palliative care for everyone and psychiatrists warn of a harmful shift in our social response to suicide. The fear of it becoming normalised, an acceptable thing to do. Taking one’s own life becomes acceptable within society.
It would only take a change in government in a few years time for this bill to diversify to include clauses such as “unbearable suffering” for those with mental health problems. See Canada and their MAID – Medical Aid In (assisted) Dying bill, which came into law in 2016 and since has diversified to include other clauses.
See here –
Liz Carr, actress, comedian and disability rights activist traveled over to Canada to interview disabled people about their experiences of MAID. Both pro and against Assisted Dying /Suicide and put together a documentary for the BBC entitled Better Off Dead –
The End of Life for Adults bill committee hearings
The committee comprising of MPs from across Parliament had its first sitting on Tuesday 21st January. Chaired by Labour MP and author of the bill, Kim Leadbeater.
Its aim was to hear from witnesses, including health experts, to give oral evidence of their views on assisted suicide.
Also to finalise received amendments, which prior to this first meeting 47 amendments had been submitted.
(As of the week commencing the 27th January a total of 86 amendments were received )
At the first meeting Leadbeater submitted a motion to allow further sittings to be held in private and not public which is usual practice. This is questionable because of the gravity of the bill surely should mean that it’s transparent and open to public scrutiny.
The committee also voted on whether to allow a representation from the Royal College of Psychiatrists to give evidence, the vote outcome was to reject their request to attend.
However when the committee sat on Wednesday 22nd Leadbeater confirmed that the RCP would be able to submit oral evidence. Subject to an accepted amendment. Which subsequently passed.
The committee will sit to hear oral evidence daily from Tuesday January 28th through to and including Thursday 30th January.
Of the 9 lawyers to give evidence 6 are in favour with 3 neutral and no opponents represented.
Other proposed witnesses include 8 supporters from other jurisdictions. No opponents.
So the number of witnesses in favour of the bill heavily outweighs those who are against it.
No witnesses from DPOs disabled people’s organisations such as Inclusion London nor campaign groups such as DPAC have been called upon to give oral evidence.
Although one disabled individual did give evidence, the Labour peer Baron Tom Shakespeare.
He cited that in fact most disabled people were in support of the bill and that only one DPO was against it.
Where Baron Shakespeare acquired this information from is again questionable. Given that several DPOs including Inclusion London have spoken out against the bill, many having misgivings, particularly of the safeguarding measures put in place will not be adequate.
As mentioned the last day of submissions from witnesses will be Thursday 30th January. Further meetings of the committee will take place during the first week of February. With a view to finalising the bill by the end of February so it can be brought back to the House for its third reading.
(Committee details see Hansard ) https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications/briefings/assisted-dying-bill-rolling-news