Terminally ill patients should have the right to choose when to die…and who should help them, says Richard Scorer
Assisting a person to die is against the law of England and Wales. Section 2 (1) of the Suicide Act 1961 (SA 1961) provides that:
“A person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the suicide of another, or an attempt by another to commit suicide, shall be liable on conviction or indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years”.
This provision gives rise to appalling dilemmas for a particular group of individuals: those who are suffering unbearably in the context of terminal illness and who wish to take steps to ensure a dignified death in a manner and at a time of their own choosing.
One such individual is Debbie Purdy. Purdy is 45 years old and lives with her husband. In 1995 she was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a degenerative disease which has already significantly impaired Purdy's physical ability. There is no cure for MS and recent developments in treatment,
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