Emma Lewell-Buck on why 'assisted death' needs proper scrutiny to avoid rushed, 'dangerous path'

When I was a social worker, every single day I worked in an environment where well-meaning legislation made by Parliamentarians had consequences beyond those making the law ever expected.

The current proposal to legislate for assisted dying via a Private Members Bill for terminally ill adults who have a short time left to live, with the only safeguards being medical professionals and judges’ discretion is an incredibly legally and ethically complex issue.

This legislation should not be fast tracked through the House, it is deserving of pre legislative scrutiny and thorough debate as it could set us on a dangerous path that will fundamentally change the fabric of our society.

We know that older people often feel they are a burden, this is exacerbated in poorer communities where good social care is limited and costly, hospices are non-existent and palliative care is scant. People with disabilities have rightly raised alarm bells that they could be pressured into seeking end of life treatment.

In the countries that have legalised assisted dying these fears have materialised into reality, in the Netherlands a study found that people had felt unable to live with having a learning disability or autism, loneliness being cited as their most unbearable pain, and as is the case in Belgium terminally ill children are not exempt. In Canada, the scope has widened to those with chronic but not terminal conditions and there are proposals to allow individuals with severe mental illness to end their life as well as reports suggesting those in poverty and with disabilities have sought medical assistance to end their lives.

I have watched loved ones die in pain and I do understand those who advocate for self-determination but there is no agreed or fixed definition of what constitutes a terminal illness, and it remains unclear how doctors and judges will fully grasp the subtleties of whether someone has been coerced or pressured into a decision to end their life.

I do not support this proposed legislation, there should be dignity in dying but there should be dignity in life too.