NEWS AND COMMENT

Germany’s top court overturns ban on physician-assisted dying

Germany’s constitutional court has ruled that a law forbidding professional assistance to die is unconstitutional, in a move that is being seen as a major victory for assisted dying campaigners.

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Canada moves to broaden assisted dying law

The Canadian government has proposed changing the law on assisted dying to extend access for those who are not terminally ill.

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Distinguished Doctors and Philosophers urge BMA members to support assisted dying

A diverse range of thirty doctors, philosophers, academics, and campaigners have signed an open letter, which appeared in the Guardian today, urging members of the British Medical Association to support…

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Royal College of General Practitioners maintain opposition to assisted dying

The Royal College of General Practitioners has maintained its 14-year opposition to assisted dying, despite a majority of GPs voting to support a change in the law or adopt a…

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Dark money anti-assisted dying ad taken down from Facebook

A Facebook advertisement by the anti-assisted dying organisation Our duty of care UK has been taken down for failing to disclose who paid for it. 

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MDMD urges BMA to vote in favour of compassion and empathy

My Death, My Decision has called on the British Medical Association (BMA) members to consider compassion and empathy by voting in favour of assisting dying in the association’s consultation which…

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Assisted dying campaigner Phil Newby refused permission by Court of Appeal

Phil Newby has been denied permission by the Court of Appeal to challenge the UK’s prohibitive law on assisted dying. 

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Justice Secretary considers review into assisted dying

Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland QC, has announced that he is considering a review into the law on assisted dying, adding there is a need to ‘take into…

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MPs debate assisted dying call for evidence

MPs from across the political divide have supported calls for an independent inquiry into assisted dying. My Death, My Decision welcomed MPs’ support on this issue. 

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Canada forges ahead with consultation on assisted dying for the incurably suffering

The Canadian Government has launched a consultation on changing its law on medically assisted dying. Under its current rules, Canadian adults who are of sound mind can voluntarily request an…

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MDMD marks the death of assisted dying supporter

Early in December, My Death, My Decision supporter Richard chose to end his life in Switzerland. 

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High Court refuses permission for Paul Lamb’s right-to-die case

Today, the High Court has rejected permission for Paul Lamb, a severely disabled man, to challenge the law on assisted dying. 

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Phil Newby denied permission to challenge the UK’s ban on assisted dying

Phil Newby, an incurably suffering father of two, has been denied permission to challenge the UK’s ban on assisted dying.  In a handed down judgment from the High Court, Lord…

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UK’s largest medical body launches assisted dying survey

The UK’s largest medical body, the Royal College of General Practitioners, has launched a consultation on whether to change its policy on assisted dying, which it currently opposes. 

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New Guidelines for Canadian Medical Assistance to die in early stage Dementia cases

MDMD commented recently on how the current Canadian Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) legislation was now starting to be used in some early stage dementia cases. A recent 30-minute radio…

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Belgian Paralympian chooses to end her life with medical assistance

MDMD has been following the story of Marieke Vervoort, the medal-winning paralympic athlete, since she announced her intention to end her life when she felt the time was right for…

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Phil Newby asks High Court for the right to challenge the UK’s ban on assisted dying

Phil Newby, a man who is facing incurable suffering and wants the right to challenge the UK’s ban on assisted dying, yesterday appealed for permission before the High Court.

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Medical Aid in Dying for those with early stage Dementia in Canada

Canadians have had legal access to medical aid in dying (MAID), the preferred term there, since June 2016. The Canadian law does not limit MAID to those who are expected…

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Book Review: O, Let me not get Alzheimer’s Sweet Heaven!

Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the number of deaths attributed to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia continues to rise. 1 in 8 of…

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Marking one year since assisted dying campaigner Omid T’s death

oday marks one year since the right-to-die campaigner Omid T ended his life in Switzerland. To honour the anniversary, My Death, My Decision has released the exclusive extract from the…

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