Scots doctors write protest letter to Times on assisted dying Bill

Description: [of the article from the Times Online]

A leading group of Scottish health professionals has fiercely criticised Margo MacDonald's "right to die" Bill now being considered at Holyrood because it sends a message to the disabled and terminally ill that they are of less value to society. In a letter to The Times, written by 16 senior palliative care specialists north of the Border, the authors say that the Bill could threaten the wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of people for the sake of a small number who feel a need to control the timing of their death. They also believe that in its scope it goes further than any other legislation in the rest of Europe.

MacDonald vigorously disputed the palliative care doctors' points:

Ms MacDonald told The Times that she could not understand why the authors of the letter had said that her Bill proposed the legalisation of both euthanasia and assisted suicide. She added: "They must know the distinction between the two. Therefore, I think we must be wary of their other comments on the Bill. The explanatory notes accompanying the Bill make it abundantly clear that the proposals rest on patient autonomy, and that no other person would legally be able to end another person's life."

Ms MacDonald said it was also "disingenuous" to follow this comment on the Bill with an opinion that it sent a message to all disabled people … that they are of less value to our society.

"The Bill and its motivation rests on respect for the ability of those with a progressive, irreversible condition and/or terminal illness to decide whether or not their lives have become intolerable and whether or not they would prefer to seek assistance to end their own lives. Any other person suggesting this course of action would be committing an offence. This is a completely different scenario from that which has been the norm for some time now."

Ms MacDonald disputed the claim that not enough was known about the long-term effects of legislation: "There is ample information and corroborative evidence from jurisdictions in which assisted suicide is legal for conclusions to be drawn as to how such legislation would work in Scotland."

[There are stories in the Overflow section below.]

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Source:

Macleod, Angus. "Scots doctors write protest letter to Times on assisted dying Bill". Times Online. April 23, 2010. <www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article7105312.ece>. Times Newspapers Ltd. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY.

Tags:

Tags (or keywords) briefly indicate some major topics of the report.

  • assisted suicide

  • Margo MacDonald

  • legalize assisted suicide

  • Scotland

  • Britain

Overflow:

Stories that EuthaNEWSia did not get to:

  • Dr Libby Wilson left 'in limbo' over death [GetSurrey.co.uk]
    http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2070428_righttodie_doctor_left_in_limbo_over_death
    Dr Libby Wilson, an 83-year-old family planning pioneer, has been on bail for ‘aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring a suicide’ since September last year in relation to the death of Cari Loder, a 48-year-old Godalming woman who had Multiple Sclerosis…

    On Thursday Dr Wilson had been due to answer her bail, but it has now been extended again until June. She said this had been suggested to her anecdotally but never formally, and she had decided to ‘take her chances’ by staying in Scotland.

    "It has been seven months now and I am still none the wiser about what is going to happen to me," the former GP said. "I am an old woman, I am facing 14 years in prison theoretically, I am in limbo and I cannot live indefinitely with this hanging over my head."

  • Britain: Euthanasia doctor asks to be charged [GetSurrey.co.uk]
    http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2070286_euthanasia_doctor_asks_to_be_charged
    VOLUNTARY euthanasia advocate Michael Irwin has invited the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge him in connection with a death he aided. The retired GP, who lives in Cranleigh, wants the DPP, Keir Starmer QC, to bring a test case against him for helping 58-year-old Raymond Cutkelvin to commit suicide at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland three years ago. Dr Irwin, like Mr Cutkelvin's partner, Alan Cutkelvin Rees, was arrested last summer in connection with the assisted suicide and has been on bail ever since.

    He will be returning to Stoke Newington police station in London on May 12 to answer his bail, when he hopes to be charged. He believes the fact that he did not know Mr Cutkelvin before accompanying him on his trip to Switzerland, which he helped fund, makes it more likely that he will be charged, though he acknowledged there were differing opinions. "Some people say if they charge me it will be a total waste of money, but others say they will want to make an example of me," Dr Irwin said. "It's 50-50."

  • Australia: Filter legislation not drafted, circumvention may be offence: govt forum [ZDNet Australia]
    http://www.zdnet.com.au/filter-legislation-not-drafted-govt-forum-339302774.htm?feed=rss
    The Australian government has apparently not completed the drafting of its Internet filtering legislation, though it had been promised to be introduced to Parliament in March. In addition, a communication from the government department administering the project said: "The department is exploring whether the legislation needs to make this deliberate and specific promotion of circumvention an offence or whether it is already adequately addressed through existing offences in legislation."

  • Internet filtering scope too broad, says Google [News.com.au]
    http://www.news.com.au/technology/internet-filtering-scope-is-too-broad-says-google/story-e6frfro0-1225860541640
    During a public debate at the University of Sydney this week, Google Australia's head of policy Iarla Flynn pointed out how broad the Australian government's Internet filter would be.

    Mr Flynn used harm minimisation videos for drug users as an example of the kind of material that could be banned. "If you go on YouTube or in fact the Internet generally, you'll find lots of public health authorities and charities and NGOs who want to use the Internet to communicate with people who, unfortunately, are using drugs," he said.

    "They're basically saying: 'If you're doing this, please try and do it safely so you don't injure yourself further.' There's loads of that material on YouTube. "That's just one example that I think people might not expect would fall within the scope of this filter, but we believe would."

  • Oregon Mailbag: Improve our suicide law [Democrat Herald]
    http://www.democratherald.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_357bfd8a-5162-11df-b155-001cc4c002e0.html
    In a letter, Leon Johnston makes two proposals. Extracts:

    My first proposal is to expand the availability of doctor-assisted suicide to include elderly persons who feel they no longer contribute to society due to extreme old age and wish to die with dignity rather than face being warehoused for years in assisted-living establishments.
    and
    The second proposal is to establish further curriculum at medical universities to educate more technicians in doctor-assisted suicide procedures, as suicide is no task for amateurs.

  • Australia: Missing man returns to face trial [Courier Mail]
    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/missing-man-returns-to-face-trial/story-e6freoof-1225855724232

    THE missing man at the centre of a mercy killing trial has been found at his North Queensland home earlier today. Colin Wilson, 70, went missing on Tuesday last week just before the start of his trial for the murder of his dementia-ridden mother. Mr Wilson arrived at his Mareeba home around 7pm tonight, where his wife contacted police about his return. A police spokesman said Mr Wilson was tired and disoriented, but is otherwise well. He is expected to speak with police tomorrow.

ID:

The EuthaNEWSia ID for this advisory is: enid201004308621.
Mailed: Friday, April 30, 2010 14:37:05 -0600
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Etcetera:

EuthaNEWSia is a free Canadian news advisory service covering end-of-life issues such as right to die, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. EuthaNEWSia is produced by the Right to Die Society of Canada which works toward a good death for all, including open, regulated and equitable access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The editor is Michael Dawson <editor@euthanewsia.ca>. 

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