Legal uncertainties over assisted dying

Posted By: James

Thursday 26th June 2014

The Supreme Court has declared that the arguments in favour of the existing ban on assisted suicide were "by no means overwhelming" as they delivered a landmark ruling on the rights of the terminally ill. Judges said that they were unable to allow a human rights appeal brought on behalf of the late Tony Nicklinson and Paul Lamb, however, they said Parliament should instead consider revising the law to allow a new system under which "a judge or other independent assessor" would be able to authorise assisted suicide. The Guardian compares the law on assisted suicide internationally, pointing out that it has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 where euthanasia accounted for 2.9% of deaths. Meanwhile a French doctor has been acquitted of poisoning charges after giving lethal injections to seven terminally ill patients.

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