The UK’s Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC, has said he has “grave doubts” [1] about any weakening of the law against assisted suicide.
Activists have been pushing for the current protections to be removed, but many fear the vulnerable will suffer.
Now Buckland, who is Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, has expressed his personal concerns and said the Government has no plans for a review of the law.
Writing to Dr Gordon Macdonald, the CEO of pro-life group Care Not Killing, Mr Buckland said it was not the place of Government policy to dictate a change. “Personally, I have grave doubts about the ability of legislation to be watertight when it comes to the potential for abuse.
“But, as Lord Chancellor, you will understand that, whatever my personal view, I must listen to all sides of the debate on this complex issue.”
Dr Macdonald told the Institute he was “delighted” by the Lord Chancellor’s statement.
He said: “The current law works well. It balances a strong deterrent against abuse whilst allowing a compassionate response to those who are in very distressing and difficult circumstances and experiencing terminal illness.
“We do not believe that doctors should be encouraged to kill their patients or to help them to commit suicide.
“That would be a very retrograde step which would place many vulnerable people at risk of abuse and put pressure on those with terminal and chronic illnesses and on the disabled to end their lives prematurely.”