An assisted dying law could have unintended consequences - Alexander Stafford

The simple reality is that wherever assisted suicide laws have been introduced there have been horror stories without exception. It is likely you won’t have heard proponents of this Bill talking about how these laws have worked out in Canada, the Netherlands or Belgium. There is a reason for this.

In each of these cases, the eligibility for those who qualify for assisted suicide has expanded significantly and there have been tragic cases involving some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in society being led down a road to premature death. It is more likely you may have heard proponents of the Bill talking about how it has worked in the US state of Oregon. However, as more information has come to light about how those with anorexia have ended up qualifying for assisted suicide under the law in Oregon, we’ve heard less about the state.

Each place that introduces assisted suicide laws always intends to be the exception, claiming they will be different; that the safeguards will be impenetrable, there will be no expansion over time of eligibility and no slippery slope. Time and again these hopes have been dashed with the protections afforded to the most vulnerable and marginalised in these jurisdictions being found wanting, with the scope of assisted suicide laws expanding either through an explicit change in law or more subtly through a change in how the law is interpreted. I fear greatly that our country will not be the one exception if assisted suicide laws are introduced here. I respect those on the other side of the argument. We all want to minimise unnecessary human suffering and we all want dignity in death. However, we always need to consider the unintended consequences of any new law being introduced, particularly in regard to matters of life and death, and the fate of some of the most vulnerable in our society.

I appreciate it when proponents of this change make the case that this is all about the freedom to choose and if you don’t want to go for the assisted suicide option if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness you don’t have to.

However, as my former colleague Danny Kruger MP stated during his excellent speech, “No man is an island”. Securing the right to choose for one individual fortunate enough to be in an empowered position will often at the same time put some of the most vulnerable in our society at risk.

The Bill includes a number of ‘safeguards’ to prevent abuse and protect the vulnerable. My concern is that under pressure these safeguards won’t hold. If the Bill makes its way into law without major changes, great numbers of vulnerable people will likely be put at risk. It is no wonder that high-profile disability groups and campaigners across the country oppose the Bill.

Alexander Stafford is the former Conservative MP for Rother Valley.