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UK House of Lords rejects assisted suicide measure

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The UK House of Lords on Tuesday rejected a proposed amendment that would have barred the prosecution of those who go abroad to help others commit assisted suicide. The proposed provision of the Coroners and Justice Bill, which covered "acts not capable of encouraging or assisting suicide," was rejected by a 141-194 vote during a line-by-line examination of the bill. Lord Falconer introduced the measure, which called for a waiver of the Suicide Act 1961 if two doctors confirm that the person seeking suicide is terminally ill and competent enough to make a decision and if the person to makes a declaration of intent to seek an assisted suicide abroad. The provision would have amended the Suicide Act to account for such exceptions to the possible 14-year prison sentence imposed by the law for assisting, aiding, abetting, counseling, or procuring an assisted suicide. Dignity in Dying CEO Sarah Wootton said that the group would "continue to fight for something that so many others feel very passionately about," calling for allowances "to allow mentally competent, terminally ill adults to make important life decisions for themselves." The House of Lords will continue examining the Coroners and Justice Bill, which was already passed by the House of Commons and contains provisions relating to coroners, criminal law, infanticide, suicide, child pornography, sentencing, legal aid, and other issues. Physician assisted suicide is a highly contested issue in Europe and other parts of the world. Many Britons have reportedly gone to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland to obtain assisted suicides. In February, the England and Wales Court of Appeals refused to clarify the ban on assisted suicide at the request of a British woman who feared legal repercussions for her husband if he accompanied her to a different country to obtain an assisted suicide. Last year, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke out against laws allowing assisted suicide, saying that he would not create laws that "put pressure on people to end their lives." Also last year, Luxembourg came close to passing a bill to legalize assisted suicide but the measure was not approved by monarch Grand Duke Henri. Henri's veto prompted the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies to amend the constitution to eliminate the requirement that the Grand Duke approve of all legislation. In 2006, the House of Lords set aside a bill to legalize assisted suicide following opposition by physician groups. Euthanasia was legalized in the Netherlands in 2001, and Belgium followed suit in 2002.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 08, 2009 (boomark / email).