Portugal’s Parliament passes assisted dying bill

Portuguese lawmakers have voted in support of legal assisted dying for the incurably suffering, making a change in the law one step closer to reality. My Death, My Decision has welcomed the move as a historic step forward in the predominantly Catholic country, and said it will now add renewed pressure on the UK to follow suit. 

Under the proposed legislation, doctors could soon be able to assist or directly enable adults with ‘extreme suffering and irreversible damage’ to end their lives, provided the person makes the request free from coercion. 136 Portuguese lawmakers voted in favour of the proposals, with 78 voting against and 4 abstentions. The move follows shortly after Spanish lawmakers voted to approve similar proposals in late 2020. 

Having passed approval in Parliament, the Bill will now be considered by Portugal’s President who could either veto it, pushing the proposals back to Parliament, send it for consideration to the Constitutional Court, or enact the Bill into law. 

My Death, My Decision’s Director Claire Macdonald said: 

‘This is a decisive step forward in the international campaign for legal assisted dying, as it shows a respect for personal autonomy cuts across both religious and political ties. It is also significant for adding weight to the growing international consensus that assisted dying should not depend upon a specific life prognosis, but rather an individual’s quality of life’. 

Notes:

For any more information or comment please contact My Death, My Decision’s Campaigns and Communications Manager at campaigns@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots non-profit organisation that campaigns for a balanced and compassionate approach to assisted dying in England and Wales. As a growing movement, we are at the forefront of social change: nearly 90% of the public now favours a change in the law to allow adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or facing incurable suffering, the option of a peaceful, painless, and dignified death.

Read more about My Death, My Decision’s campaign for an inclusive change in the law: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/

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Covid-19 has exposed the need for a review of our assisted dying laws, says MDMD to parliamentary human rights committee

My Death, My Decision has responded to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ review of Covid-19, by calling for an immediate review of the UK’s laws on assisted dying. 

In a submission to a consultation asking for opinions on the human rights impact of the Government’s extended lockdown, MDMD highlighted concerns that people suffering from terminal or incurable illnesses may have postponed their decision to travel to Switzerland if they thought it was prohibited under lockdown measures – and now risked having lost their opportunity for a dignified death in the future. The submission also discussed the incident where MDMD was aware of someone bringing forward their plans to end their life, because they feared restrictions might prevent them from doing so at a later stage. 

My Death, My Decision’s Chair Trevor Moore said: 

‘In many ways the onset of Covid-19 has given us all a glimpse into the lives of someone suffering from a terminal or incurable illness. But whilst our sense of losing control over our lives or fearing the prospect of a drawn-out period of suffering may only have been temporary, theirs sadly is not. Amidst the uncertainty of lockdown earlier this year, we understand that some people who had been ‘greenlit’ for an assisted death in Switzerland chose to postpone their journeys, and did so at the risk of losing their opportunity of going in the future. And sadly, we have now all learnt that they may have made this sacrifice and lost that final bit of control over their lives, without having had to.’

‘If nothing else, Covid-19 has demonstrated the frailty of end-of-life choices available in our country, and as we look to the future it has given a fresh impetus for a review into what needs to change. We encourage the UK Government and Parliament to grasp the issues exposed by our recent lockdowns and follow in the footsteps of our progressive neighbours, such as Canada, by instigating a thorough and widespread examination of our laws on assisted dying and end-of-life care.’ 

Notes:

For any more information or comment please contact My Death, My Decision’s Campaigns and Communications Manager at campaigns@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.

Read our full consultation response. 

Read more about My Death, My Decision’s campaign for an inclusive change in the law: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots non-profit organisation that campaigns for a balanced and compassionate approach to assisted dying in England and Wales. As a growing movement, we are at the forefront of social change: nearly 90% of the public now favours a change in the law to allow adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or facing incurable suffering, the option of a peaceful, painless, and dignified death.

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Jersey forges ahead with citizens’ jury on assisted dying

Jersey’s government is moving forward with plans to convene a citizens’ assembly on assisted dying, and has invited more than 4,000 residents to register their interest in taking part. The move has been welcomed by My Death, My Decision as a positive step towards securing a meaningful change in the law. 

The jury, which will comprise of 18 – 24 randomly selected members of the public, will advise Jersey’s government on whether assisted dying should be allowed after undertaking a detailed examination of the evidence. This will include in what circumstances a change in the law should be allowed. According to a poll commissioned by the group End of Life Choices Jersey, who are My Death, My Decision’s partners in the UK Assisted Dying Coalition, up to 86% of islanders believe the law should allow assisted dying for both those who are terminally ill and incurably suffering, in at least some circumstances.

Welcoming the announcement My Death, My Decision’s Chair Trevor Moore said: 

‘With nearly 90% of the public favouring a change in the law on assisted dying, and doctors casting the most ballots in favour of the British Medical Association supporting reform, it is clear that a gulf now exists between the public, our doctors’, and our lawmakers’ attitudes on assisted dying.’ 

‘This is why after clamouring for a change in the law, it is so significant that the public in Jersey will soon be given an opportunity to shape the debate and be brought into the decision making. We commend Jersey’s government for not allowing this initiative to stall in the wake of Covid-19, and hope that with similarly strong calls for a fresh examination of the evidence elsewhere in the UK and Crown Dependencies, that the UK Government will take inspiration from Jersey and commit to a public inquiry immediately’. 

Notes:

For any more information or comment please contact My Death, My Decision’s Campaigns and Communications Manager at campaigns@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.

Read the press release from Jersey’s government on its Citizens’ Jury 

Read more about nearly 90% of the public supporting assisted dying.

Read more about My Death, My Decision’s campaign for an inclusive change in the law: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots non-profit organisation that campaigns for a balanced and compassionate approach to assisted dying in England and Wales. As a growing movement, we are at the forefront of social change: nearly 90% of the public now favours a change in the law to allow adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or facing incurable suffering, the option of a peaceful, painless, and dignified death.

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My Death, My Decision’s Chair responds to Ruth Davidson’s Telegraph column on assisted dying

Credit: The Scottish Parliament, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62290915 (Creative Commons 3.0)

The Sunday Telegraph has published a letter to the editor from My Death, My Decision’s Chair, Trevor Moore, in response to a column by Ruth Davidson.

In her article, the former Scottish Conservatives leader who is due to join the House of Lords acknowledged that her views on assisted dying had changed after witnessing a number of close loved one’s battle dementia, and that she now regretted not originally supporting proposals to change the law. 

Welcoming her comments, the full text of the letter published in the telegraph from My Death, My Decision is below: 

‘SIR – Ruth Davidson (Comment, December 27) is not alone in changing her views on assisted dying after seeing the effects of dementia on a loved one. 

It would, of course, be essential for any assisted dying law to require mental competence throughout, as is the case in many jurisdictions that already have such a law. In order to help those in early-stage dementia, before they lose their capacity to safely make a life-ending decision, Britain needs a law that does not limit eligibility to those with a short life expectancy. 

A public inquiry is needed so that politicians can hear evidence from around the globe, including those jurisdictions such as Canada and Spain, where laws extend not only to the terminally ill, but also the incurably suffering. The Justice Secretary must stop ducking the issue.’ 

Notes:

For any more information or comment please contact My Death, My Decision’s Campaigns and Communications Manager at campaigns@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots non-profit organisation that campaigns for a balanced and compassionate approach to assisted dying in England and Wales. As a growing movement, we are at the forefront of social change: nearly 90% of the public now favours a change in the law to allow adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or facing incurable suffering, the option of a peaceful, painless, and dignified death.

Read more about My Death, My Decision’s campaign for an inclusive change in the law: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/

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