As the United Kingdom prepares to vote on a new bill legalizing assisted suicide in the country, a new report by the equalities watchdog has been released.
In a scathing review of the proposed law, it found that it would severely breach human rights legislation.
The Telegraph reported:
“In a detailed critique of the Bill, the Equality and Human Rights Commission said the proposed new law could force terminally ill people into choosing an assisted death in breach of their rights under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
This was because provision of palliative care was so patchy that the terminally ill would have no viable alternative but to have an assisted death, thus denying them a free choice.”
The commission alerted this law would potentially breach their Article 2 rights to life under the ECHR, as well as Article 3 protection from ‘inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’.
It suffices to say that even Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, is expected to vote against the assisted dying Bill.
“The Private Member’s Bill, laid by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would allow terminally ill adults expected to die within six months to legally take their own lives, provided they have the support of two independent doctors and have been approved to do so by a High Court judge.”
The Equality and Human Rights Commission said that unlike assisted dying legislation in other countries, the UK Bill does not commit to any extra funding for palliative care.
This in a context where UK’s palliative care provision was ‘patchy and inconsistent’.
The commission also “pointed to a UN report which warned that the disabled and elderly “may feel subtly pressured to end their lives prematurely due to attitudinal barriers as well as the lack of appropriate services and support”.
This means patients won’t be able to decide ‘freely and without feeling coerced’.
“It also questioned whether the opt out clause for doctors who conscientiously object to assisted dying was sufficient to protect them against a breach of their Article 9 rights under the ECHR to ‘freedom of thought, conscience and religion’.”
Meanwhile, another Telegraph report shows that ‘almost a third of the Cabinet are opposed to legalizing assisted dying’.
“At least eight of the 26 Cabinet members do not support the proposed legislation allowing the terminally ill to get help to end their lives.
David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, is expected to vote against the proposed law change when it comes to the House of Commons next week, building on his past opposition.”
11 Cabinet ministers are presently known to be in favor of legalizing assisted dying, while seven have not revealed where they stand.
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