Scottish politicians will soon consider new member’s legislation on ‘assisted dying’ for people with a terminal illness. Holyrood has rejected proposals of this kind twice before. Here are seven reasons why I believe it must do so again. 1) ‘Assisted dying’ would not be implemented in a vacuum Inequalities in healthcare and wider society wouldContinue reading “Why oppose ‘assisted dying’?”
Category Archives: Ethics
It’s time to tell the truth about ‘assisted dying’
Dishonesty abounds about what ‘assisted dying’ involves, writes Jamie Gillies
End-of-life doctors won’t end lives
Data published this week deals a blow to campaigners vying for legal assisted suicide in Scotland. Survey results from the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) suggest that most Scottish palliative doctors would refuse to participate in assisted deaths. Close to half of those surveyed also said they’d resign if their employer chose to offer assistedContinue reading “End-of-life doctors won’t end lives”
Against the assisted suicide Groundhog Day
Earlier today, it was announced that a parliamentary inquiry into assisted suicide will take place next year, with a particular focus on the experience of other countries that have introduced the practice. The Commons Health and Social Care Committee will hear evidence from doctors, campaigners, and the wider public before presenting a set of recommendationsContinue reading “Against the assisted suicide Groundhog Day”
Why won’t judges condemn disability discrimination?
Today, England’s Court of Appeal rejected a case against the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care focusing on “downright discrimination” in abortion law. Disability activist Heidi Crowter, 27, who has Down’s syndrome, fronted the legal challenge, which sought to remove a section of the Abortion Act permitting terminations past the legal limit ofContinue reading “Why won’t judges condemn disability discrimination?”
Emmerdale’s twisted suicide plot
Viewers of the long-running ITV soap Emmerdale were subjected to uncharacteristically harrowing scenes last week. Thursday’s programme portrayed a character named Faith Dingle, who had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, taking her own life. In previous episodes, Faith had shared her fears about what dying from a terminal illness involves. The impetus for this plot couldn’tContinue reading “Emmerdale’s twisted suicide plot”
Scotland can do better than ‘assisted dying’
On Monday this week, the politician behind plans to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland confirmed that his member’s bill has achieved sufficient support to progress in the Scottish Parliament. The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is now set to be considered by Holyrood’s Health Committee. It’s the third time Scottish politicians haveContinue reading “Scotland can do better than ‘assisted dying’”
The troubling case of Graham Mansfield
The deeply upsetting case of a man who killed his terminally ill wife made headlines at the weekend. Graham Mansfield slit his wife Dyanne’s throat in their back garden before turning the knife on himself and ingesting drugs. He later called the police to turn himself in. Last week, he was told he will avoidContinue reading “The troubling case of Graham Mansfield”