Assisted dying: The Meacher Bill, radicals in the Lords, Canada’s slippery slope and fragile conscience protections
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This week we’re digging into assisted dying. A bill to legalise it in England has been introduced to parliament – what does it propose and how likely is it to actually become law? And zooming out a little, what are the social factors behind this renewed push to introduce a form of euthanasia to Britain, and in particular via the House of Lords of all places? Finally, we discuss what we could learn from Canada – which has brought in its own form of assisted suicide, with some alarming consequences, since we in the UK last debated it six years ago.
You can find more information on Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying programme here: https://www.betterwaycampaign.co.uk/canada
John's article unpacking the Meacher Bill is here: https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/08/whats-wrong-with-the-assisted-dying-bill
You can also find lots more material and resources on the topic on this page on his website: https://johnwyatt.com/medical-ethics/euthanasia-and-palliative-care
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Released on 8 Oct 2021
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