Assisted suicide debate

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Just whose life is it anyway?

30/12/2009

When it comes to voluntary euthanasia, surely the crux of the matter is: just whose life is it? Shouldn't you have the finite legal rights to your own life? Who do you, as a person, actually legally belong to?

Assisted suicide - one Christian perspective... and Terry Waite responds

"Terry Waite’s article fails to explain why a choice about end of life decisions is problematic, from a Christian perspective or otherwise." Rev. J Cartwright gives his views on the debate around assisted suicide - and Terry Waite gives his reply.

DPP publishes interim policy on Assisted Suicide prosecutions.

Launching his interim policy on prosecuting cases of assisted suicide today, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has called for public participation in a 12-week consultation on the factors he has identified which will be taken into account when considering whether prosecutions will be brought for this offence.

Terry Waite: why I cannot support a change in the law on assisted suicide

The question still remains. Who can be sure that the decision to end life is the right decision? Assisted suicide is wide open to abuse.

Terry Waite tackles one of the key debates of our time.

Isn't it time to make voluntary euthanasia available?

MT readers give their views on this topical and controversial subject.

Suicides and Switzerland - a Christian view

When I was a theological student, suicide was reckoned to be one of the worst sins. Many clergy would not let you have a burial except in the special place in the churchyard reserved for suicides. The bishop had not blessed it or you. That was where you were buried with a miniscule service if you got one at all. Suicide was not only condemned by the church, but by the state as well. It was illegal. You could be arrested for it and (presumably) go to prison – not much of a threat if you were dead, perhaps, but it’s the thought that counts.

Do we have the right to "call it a day"?

I am 73, fit, take no tablets of any sort, am not depressed, and look forward to many more good years. However when I tried to discuss the option of suicide when I am 90, 100 or whenever with a doctor, the position appeared to be that if I became mentally incapacitated, Social Services are legally able to take over my affairs and my life.

Dying in Dignity

I read the article by Alison Davis about voluntary euthanasia with interest. I myself have cerebral palsy and sleep apnoea and need a lot of care. I use a wheelchair full time. Many people have been totally horrified by me being pro-assisted suicide, probably because I'm disabled.

Dying in Dignity- the debate continues...

I see that references to the article by Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dying in Dignity, still keep cropping up in your mailbag, so hopefully I’m not too late to add my penn’orth.

End of life care: we need love as well as dignity

The article by Alison Davis about voluntary euthanasia (MT, April 2008) really made me think. I am very supportive of Dignity In Dying, but Alison very eloquently put across arguments for the other side. Yet somehow what she said was defeated by her very last sentence: "what we really need is assistance and encouragement to live with dignity until we die naturally."

I chose life over death

In February, Sarah Wootton of Dignity in Dying made her case for circumstances when a person could elect to ask for “assisted dying”. Alison Davis is one of many of our readers who begs to differ.

Public support for medically assisted dying for terminally ill

For some months the Mature Times has been exploring readers' different views about medically assisted dying - but now a new YouGov survey, released on March 10th, has shown that the majority of adults are in favour of a law allowing medically assisted dying.

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