‘This really is a historic moment’, Humanists UK comments on Assisted Dying Bill first reading
Publisher: In-Sight Publishing
Publisher Founding: September 1, 2014
Publisher Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Publication: Freethought Newswire
Original Link: https://humanists.uk/2024/10/15/this-really-is-a-historic-moment-humanists-uk-comments-on-assisted-dying-bill-first-reading/
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Organization: Humanists UK
Organization Description: Humanists UK is the operating name of the British Humanist Association. We are a charitable company (no. 228781), formed in 1896 and incorporated in 1928, and registered in England and Wales. Our governing document is our Articles of Association, which can be viewed here.
Kim Leadbeater MBE, the Labour MP for Spen Valley, will formally introduce her Assisted Dying Bill to the House of Commons for its First Reading on Wednesday 16 October. This marks the first opportunity for MPs to debate and vote on an assisted dying bill since 2015.
Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK, said:
‘This really is a historic moment. There have been many assisted dying bills brought to Parliament before over the years. But now, with three-quarters of British adults in favour and a brand new Parliament that is the most progressive ever, there’s a real chance that at last, politicians will do what the public has wanted them to do for many years now and deliver this compassionate reform so that people at the end of their lives can die with dignity at a time of their choosing.’
Kim has announced that her Private Member’s Bill on Choice at the End of Life will have its Second Reading on Friday 29 November.
The Assisted Dying Bill will apply to England and Wales only. A private member’s bill in Scotland by Liam McArthur MSP has been introduced in the Scottish Parliament. A members’ debate and vote in the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament) will also be held on Wednesday 23 October on assisted dying for the terminally ill and incurably suffering.
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan@humanists.uk or phone 07456200033.
If you have been affected by the current assisted dying legislation, and want to use your story to support a change in the law, please email campaigns@humanists.uk.
Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to ‘Humanists UK’.
Humanists defend the right of each individual to live by their own personal values, and the freedom to make decisions about their own life so long as this does not result in harm to others. Humanists do not share the attitudes to death and dying held by some religious believers, in particular that the manner and time of death are for a deity to decide, and that interference in the course of nature is unacceptable. We firmly uphold the right to life but we recognise that this right carries with it the right of each individual to make their own judgement about whether their life should be prolonged in the face of pointless suffering.
We recognise that any assisted dying law must contain strong safeguards, but the international evidence from countries where assisted dying is legal shows that safeguards can be effective. We also believe that the choice of assisted dying should not be considered an alternative to palliative care, but should be offered together as in many other countries.
Read six reasons we need an assisted dying law.
Read more about our analysis of the assisted dying inquiry.
Read more about our campaign to legalise assisted dying in the UK.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 120,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.
License
In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on work at www.in-sightpublishing.com.
Copyright
© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen, or the author(s), and In-Sight Publishing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors copyright their material, as well, and may disseminate for their independent purposes.
In-Sight Publishing 