Assisted suicide usually involves a health practitioner prescribing a lethal dose for a person to administer themselves, usually by swallowing a combination of drugs.
In the United Kingdom, the Suicide Act 1961 legalised the attempt to take one’s own life, but it kept illegal the assistance of another’s death.
Assisted suicide is legal in a handful of jurisdictions globally including Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and a small number of states in the US.
Right To Life UK campaigns against any attempt to legalise assisted suicide, and for the development of palliative care services and end of life care that remove any perceived need for assisted suicide.
Euthanasia advocates now promoting ‘rational suicide’
As euthanasia and right-to-die activists debate the use of a new lethal drug for euthanasia in the Netherlands, certain activists are promoting ‘rational suicide’ as an alternative to the current legislative framework. Philip Nitschke and his partner, Fiona Stewart,...
Australia: Assisted suicide introduced to Queensland
Queensland has become the fifth state in Australia to pass legislation that permits assisted suicide and euthanasia. Despite public opposition, the Queensland Parliament passed a Bill to introduce assisted suicide and euthanasia to the State vote. 61 MPs voted in...
Scotland: Assisted suicide could be approved over Zoom
A new assisted suicide Bill in Scotland could permit people who want to end their lives in accordance with the law to have their request granted over Zoom. A consultation document on the proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill released last...
Doctors from countries where assisted suicide legalised tell MPs of dangers of introducing it to the UK
A large group of MPs and peers have heard of the dangers of introducing assisted suicide and euthanasia from a group of doctors from countries that have already legalised assisted suicide or euthanasia. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dying Well event,...
Boris Johnson comes out against latest attempt to introduce assisted suicide
The Prime Minister does not support plans to make assisted suicide legal in the UK. According to the Telegraph, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, came to the decision over the summer recess after considering the arguments for and against a change in the law. Earlier...
BMA decides by just 4 votes to go neutral on assisted suicide
Delegates at the British Medical Association’s Annual Representative Meeting have decided by a narrow margin of four votes to change the Association’s position on assisted suicide from opposition to neutrality. The vote was held this afternoon on a motion to “move to...
