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Humanists urge MPs to call for law reform on assisted dying
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The British Humanist Association (BHA) has urged MPs to speak in
favour of a reform to the law on assisted dying, when they debate
the issue in the House of Commons later today.
Coming so soon after the publication of the new prosecution
guidelines on assisted dying in the UK, as well as recent calls for
an independent inquiry into the law in the House of Lords, it is
particularly timely that elected representatives have a chance now
to make the case for a reform in the law in the UK.
Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, said, ‘The final
prosecution guidelines have distinguished between where a person
has compassionately assisted another to die, and where that was
done with malicious intent. That is a clarification that was badly
needed and is to be welcomed. However, the guidelines will always
be retrospective, after an assisted death has taken place, and the
law itself remains unchanged.’
‘Legalising assisted dying is the only sure way to give
terminally ill or incurably suffering people full autonomy and
choice at end of life, and at the same time to ensure strict legal
safeguards are in place to protect those that are vulnerable from
coercion or other malice. This is a proposal that has overwhelming
public support and its implementation would be a compassionate
recognition of human autonomy and dignity'
