At the end of July, the House of Lords ruled that the Director of Public Prosecutions should publish his policy on prosecuting those who assist others to commit suicide. The case of Debbie Purdy concerned her desire to have her husband assist her death in Zurich, where the practice is allowed. However, the DPP’s comments in a national newspaper that his guidelines would apply equally to those who assist suicides in the UK, have put pressure on Parliament to legalise assisted suicide.
Again we find ourselves faced with an amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill that seeks to legalise assistance with the suicide of those who are suffering from an “incurable and disabling illness”. The vulnerable person does not even need to be terminally ill for the amendment to apply—they merely need to be disabled by their illness.
Lord Alderdice’s amendment is number 66 and is likely to be voted on next Monday (26th October) or Wednesday (28th October). Please send one or more Peers an e-mail as soon as you can and urge them to attend the House of Lords to vote against Lord Alderdice’s amendment (and any further amendments that seek to legalise assistance with suicide). You might like to mention the fact that the House of Lords has already rejected assisted suicide as recently as July, by 53 votes and after lengthy consideration.
Care Not Killing, which promotes more and better palliative care whilst seeking to ensure that existing laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are not weakened, has issued an e-mail action alert. Please use their e-mail, below, to help you write to Peers.
Dear Supporter,
Lord Alderdice has just tabled an amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill allowing exceptions to the offence of assisting suicide, which reads as follows:‘Exceptions to offence of assisting suicide
Notwithstanding sections 53, 54 and 55, no offence shall have been committed if assistance, is given to a person to commit suicide who is suffering from a confirmed, incurable and disabling illness which prevents them from carrying through their own wish to bring their life to a close, if the person has received certification from a coroner who has investigated the circumstances, and satisfied himself that it is indeed the free and settled wish of the person that they bring their life to a close.’
On the CNK website you will find a list of Peers who are known to oppose the legalisation of assisted suicide. Please write to them urging them to be present to vote against the Alderdice amendment (66), should it come to the vote on 26th or 28th October. We suggest you write to the two or three Peers with surnames closest to your own.
You can either e-mail them by clicking on their names on the website (for those whose e-mail addresses we have), or send a letter to them at The House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW. Given the uncertainties of the postal strike it is currently far better to use e-mail.
We suggest you write as follows:
Thank them for opposing Lord Falconer’s assisted suicide amendment on 7th July
Urge them to vote against Lord Alderdice’s assisted suicide amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill if it comes to the vote at Report Stage on 26th or 28th October
Say briefly why you oppose to the amendment (use two to three of the bullet points below)
The amendment would remove legal protection from vulnerable sick and disabled people who could be brought under pressure to end their lives so as not to be a burden on relatives, carers or the state;
The Coroners and Justice Bill is attempting to tighten up the law to prevent internet promotion of suicide and this amendment attempts to hijack it for another purpose altogether creating legal confusion;
There are no safeguards in the amendment to prevent abuse e.g. there would be nothing to stop a person ‘assisting’ a sick person’s suicide even if it was not requested, once the Coroner had given permission, and there is no provision for ensuring mental capacity;
The job of the coroner is to investigate and record the cause of death rather than to give licence to others to help bring it about;
The House of Lords has already this year considered and rejected an attempt to legalise suicide in some circumstances;
The current blanket prohibition on assistance with suicide both deters abuse and allows mercy in hard cases — it does not need changing.
Many thanks for your support
Care Not Killing