Lords back bill to legalise assisted suicide
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《英国医生杂志》
A private member's bill to legalise doctor assisted suicide in England and Wales was given an unopposed first reading in the House of Lords last week.
The Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill replaces a bill introduced by the crossbench peer Joel Joffe that lapsed in April when parliament was dissolved for the general election and that would have legalised voluntary euthanasia as well as doctor assisted suicide. A select committee that took extensive evidence on the earlier bill was divided on the issues. Lord Joffe has dropped provisions to legalise voluntary euthanasia and concentrated solely on doctor assisted suicide.
The bill would not require changes to the law on murder but only a small amendment to the Suicide Act 1961, which makes it a serious crime to aid and abet a suicide.
Lord Joffe said the bill would enable an adult "who has capacity and is suffering unbearably as a result of terminal illness" to get medical assistance to die "at his own considered and persistent request."
Without government support the bill has no chance of reaching the statute book. But if it gets through its stages in the House of Lords a Labour MP, Joan Ruddock, has said that she will introduce the bill into the House of Commons. Ms Ruddock chairs the All Party Compassion in Dying Group of MPs.
Lord Joffe's revised bill is modelled on the law in Oregon, where doctor assisted suicide is allowed. The doctor would not administer a drug to end the patient's life but would write a prescription for the patient to take.
A majority of the select committee of peers who considered the previous bill said they would support the revised bill.
Lord Joffe said: "I have listened to the views in parliament and among medical professionals and believe there is more support for a law which requires the patient to take the final act. This seems to reassure doctors that the patient is exercising a choice and is less difficult to them on a personal level.(Clare Dyer, legal correspondent)
The Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill replaces a bill introduced by the crossbench peer Joel Joffe that lapsed in April when parliament was dissolved for the general election and that would have legalised voluntary euthanasia as well as doctor assisted suicide. A select committee that took extensive evidence on the earlier bill was divided on the issues. Lord Joffe has dropped provisions to legalise voluntary euthanasia and concentrated solely on doctor assisted suicide.
The bill would not require changes to the law on murder but only a small amendment to the Suicide Act 1961, which makes it a serious crime to aid and abet a suicide.
Lord Joffe said the bill would enable an adult "who has capacity and is suffering unbearably as a result of terminal illness" to get medical assistance to die "at his own considered and persistent request."
Without government support the bill has no chance of reaching the statute book. But if it gets through its stages in the House of Lords a Labour MP, Joan Ruddock, has said that she will introduce the bill into the House of Commons. Ms Ruddock chairs the All Party Compassion in Dying Group of MPs.
Lord Joffe's revised bill is modelled on the law in Oregon, where doctor assisted suicide is allowed. The doctor would not administer a drug to end the patient's life but would write a prescription for the patient to take.
A majority of the select committee of peers who considered the previous bill said they would support the revised bill.
Lord Joffe said: "I have listened to the views in parliament and among medical professionals and believe there is more support for a law which requires the patient to take the final act. This seems to reassure doctors that the patient is exercising a choice and is less difficult to them on a personal level.(Clare Dyer, legal correspondent)