UK: Details of Assisted Dying Bill Published
UK: Details of Assisted Dying Bill Published
The Facts
Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Kim Leadbeater has claimed that current laws surrounding assisted dying in England and Wales are "not fit for purpose" as she published the details of a new bill on Monday aiming to legalize the process.
There must be seven days separating the two doctor assessments, and – after court approval – unless death is imminent, the patient must wait another 14 days before self-administering life-ending medication.There must be seven days separating the two doctor assessments, and — after court approval — unless death is imminent, the patient must wait another 14 days before self-administering life-ending medication.
The Spin
While concerns over a highly personal and controversial topic are to always be respected, now is the time to move away from the archaic status quo. The legislation, while liberating, will be one of the strictest assisted dying legislations in the world with harsh crackdowns against those who misuse the system. Now is the time for MPs to pick the side of compassion and finally give terminally ill individuals the autonomy over their lives that they deserve.
Leadbeater's bill is flawed and cannot be allowed to pass. On close inspection, it allows those seeking to end their life to repeatedly seek alternative doctors' opinions until they get the answer they want, while the promise of strong punishments against those who coerce death is, in reality, difficult, if not impossible, to prove. With an NHS already on the brink and the bill likely only to be the start of a slippery slope, it would not be in good conscience for this proposal to become law.
