Cambridgeshire man backs assisted dying bill after late wife's MND battle
MPs will debate and are expected to vote on proposed legislation for the first time in almost a decade.
A Cambridgeshire man living with multiple sclerosis (MS) believes people with a terminal illness should be able to choose when's best to end their life.
MPs in the House of Commons will debate an assisted dying bill today and are likely to vote on proposed legislation for the first time in almost a decade.
James Catmur - whose wife Helen died in 2016 after living with motor neurone disease (MND) - has been campaigning for several years for a law change.
"I began to think about this and think what can I do to campaign to get England, to have a law that enables people who don't want to go on to die, (to choose) when they want to die because so many other countries have done this (change of law)," he said.
"My wife ended up locked into a body with MND; she couldn't move, couldn't do anything, she was miserable, she just wanted to die.
"I remember her telling the doctors when they asked her how she felt, she typed 'I want to die', and I think it gives people who want that option, the option to do that."
'Pressure' to end life
Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater has put forward the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, saying it is about giving choice to dying people and is “robust”, with potentially the “strictest protections” against coercion anywhere in the world, requiring sign-off by two doctors and a High Court judge.
Mr Catmur, a paying member of Dignitas in Switzerland where assisted dying is legal, has been living with MS since the 1980s and although it isn't terminal, it could lead to fatal complications later in life.
The 64-year-old - who's also a member of the Dignity in Dying campaign - said his father, who had cancer, chose not to end his own life before he died in the United States.
Campaigners against the Bill say it puts vulnerable people at risk of being manipulated and instead want more investment in palliative care.
"I think that pressure will always be there, people who don't want a bad death will internalise the pressure so I don't think the Bill itself will change that," Mr Catmur added.
"It could take a long time to get a Bill we're happy with because there'll be a lot of to and fro afterwards; it's the start of a debate, not the end."
Concerns raised
Some MPs and campaigners have raised concerns that the Bill has been rushed and will not get the scrutiny it requires – an argument rejected by Ms Leadbeater who insisted it is likely to be subject to more scrutiny because of the level of public debate on the divisive issue.
One of those to raise concern about the Bill is Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty.
"My heart says individuals should be able to choose the way they end their lives if they are in pain and suffering from a terminal illness; my head is extremely worried about the manner which you'd be able to implement that," he said.
"There's a feeling amongst MPs that we'd like a bit more time to talk it through to understand what it is we are potentially bringing into law because I think it's a hugely important decision."
What is assisted dying?
This, and the language used, varies depending on who you ask.
Pro-change campaigners Dignity in Dying argue that, along with good care, dying people who are terminally ill and mentally competent adults deserve the choice to control the timing and manner of their death.
But the campaign group Care Not Killing uses the terms “assisted suicide” and “euthanasia”, and argues that the focus should be on “promoting more and better palliative care” rather than any law change.
They say legalising assisted dying could “place pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden upon others” and argue the disabled, elderly, sick or depressed could be especially at risk.
What is the current law?
Assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
In Scotland, it is not a specific criminal offence but assisting the death of someone can leave a person open to being charged with murder or other offences.
What is happening at Westminster today?
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater formally introduced her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to Parliament in October.
If the Bill passes the first stage in the Commons today, it will go to committee stage where MPs can table amendments, before facing further scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Ms Leadbeater’s Bill would apply only to England and Wales, a seperate member's bill has been introduced in Scotland, but not voted on yet. Nothing has yet been passed in Northern Ireland.
Who would be eligible for assisted dying?
Only terminally adults who are expected to die within six months and who have been resident in England and Wales and registered with a GP for at least 12 months.
They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish – free from coercion or pressure – to end their life.
How would the process work?
The terminally ill person must make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, about their wish to die.
The process must involve two independent doctors being satisfied the person is eligible and the medics can consult a specialist in the person’s condition and get an assessment from an expert in mental capacity if deemed necessary.
A High Court judge must hear from at least one of the doctors regarding the application and can also question the dying person as well as anyone else they consider appropriate.
How long would it take?
There must be at least seven days between the two doctors making their assessments and a further 14 days after the judge has made a ruling, for the person to have a period of reflection on their decision.
For someone whose death is expected imminently, the 14-day period could be reduced to 48 hours.
What safeguards are there?
It would be illegal for someone to pressure, coerce or use dishonesty to get someone to make a declaration that they wish to end their life or to induce someone to self-administer an approved substance.
If someone is found guilty of either of these actions, they could face a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
What are the views of the public on assisted dying?
This varies. Research by the Policy Institute and the Complex Life and Death Decisions group at King’s College London (KCL) in September suggested almost two-thirds of just over 2,000 adults surveyed in England and Wales want assisted dying to be legalised for terminally ill adults in the next five years.
But it showed the changeable nature of some people’s views, with some of those voicing support saying they could change their minds if they felt someone had been pressured into choosing an assisted death or had made the choice due to lack of access to care.