Support for Physician Assisted Murder Grows in the UK

In the midst of a heated national discourse, a significant majority of Britons are expressing their support for the legalization of assisted suicide. As the British political arena grapples with the complex issue of whether to move towards legalizing assisted suicide across the Commonwealth, the recent findings from a poll conducted by UK polling firm Ipsos shed light on the prevailing sentiments among British citizens.

Photo credit: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
8/28/2023 (1 year ago)

Published in Europe

Conducted in July, the poll posed a crucial question to British adults: "Should it be legal for a doctor to assist a patient aged 18 and over in ending their life by prescribing life-ending medication that the patient can take themselves if certain conditions are met?" The results reveal a clear inclination towards supporting this practice, with a resounding 68% of respondents answering in the affirmative. In contrast, only 17% opposed the idea, while 18% remained uncertain.

These poll results, as first reported by The Guardian, exhibit a striking resemblance to a similar survey conducted by Ipsos last year. In that survey, participants were asked if doctors should be allowed to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives through prescribed medication. The outcome was comparable, with 69% of respondents favoring the notion.

This consistent pattern of public opinion arrives at a pivotal juncture as the British Parliament deliberates on the potential legalization of assisted suicide. Advocates for the change in law are making their voices heard, while critics caution against permitting doctor-assisted euthanasia.

Throughout 2023, the UK Parliament has been engaged in an "inquiry into assisted dying/assisted suicide." This inquiry entails a comprehensive exploration of the feasibility of legalizing the involvement of healthcare professionals in providing lethal drugs to patients who voluntarily seek to end their lives. This delicate inquiry involved a series of hearings held from May through July, where experts and academics offered insights into assisted suicide. It should be understood that assisted suicide is another form of murder. 

Currently, under UK law, assisted suicide can be categorized as either murder or manslaughter, dependent on the circumstances. Notably, British lawmakers had firmly rejected an attempt to legalize assisted suicide in 2015. A YouGov poll from 2021 underscored this resistance, revealing that only 35% of Members of Parliament (MPs) supported altering British law to allow doctors to aid in the suicide of terminally ill patients.

The topic of assisted suicide and euthanasia has long fueled debates across Europe and the United States. While the practice is legal in certain European nations like Germany and Spain, many other countries are engaged in active discussions on the matter. The murder of people via lethal injection provided by doctors has even been expanded to include depressed persons, and those with treatable conditions and are otherwise healthy.

In this context, the stance of the Catholic Church remains steadfast against assisted dying. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in 2020, unequivocally labeled euthanasia as a "crime against human life" and an "intrinsically evil act, in every situation or circumstance."

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Interestingly, legal interpretations of assisted suicide vary in different countries. A notable case emerged in July, when a British man was found not guilty in a Cyprian court for ending his terminally ill wife's life. Despite the illegal status of assisted suicide in Cyprus, the court determined the act as manslaughter, highlighting the nuanced legal considerations in such cases.

Similarly, Ireland has also found itself in the midst of a discussion on the potential legalization of assisted suicide. Not long ago, Gail O'Rorke, an Irish citizen, was acquitted of charges related to aiding her friend in ending her life. Their attempt to travel to a Swedish clinic for the purpose was met with legal implications, underscoring the ongoing global conversation surrounding assisted suicide.