Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 71(4) November 2021

Stop Press

Good news about the Assisted Dying Bill

The Second Reading debate of Baroness Meacher’s assisted suicide Bill was held on 22nd October. Right to Life told us that following mass opposition from over 60 Peers who spoke against the Bill in the debate, Baroness Meacher did not take her assisted suicide Bill to a vote! Which was an excellent outcome.

The assisted suicide lobby would likely have pushed for a vote at the Second Reading if they felt they had the numbers to win. However, it looks like they realised that they would be unlikely to have sufficient support to win a vote.

The Bill is now unlikely to be given time in Parliament to be debated in the House of Commons and become law, given that it is not supported by the Government.

You can read a joint statement by UK Faith Leaders on page 26

In that statement they appeal for “people of what­ever faith or belief to join us through our common bond of humanity in caring for the most vulnerable people within our society.”In contrast to the proposals in the Meacher Bill, they continue to call for “measures to make high-quality palliative care available to all at the end of their lives.” And end by stating that “the aim of a compassionate society should be assisted living rather than an acceptance of assisted suicide