Assisted Dying Law Reform in the United Kingdon
Patricia Haitink1, London School Of Economics And Political Science (LSE) London 1London School Of Economics And Political Science (LSE), London, London, United Kingdom
Abstract
Assisted Dying Law Reform in the United Kingdom
Assisted dying legislation has been introduced, or is currently under consideration, in a growing number of European countries, Canada, Colombia, 11 US states and districts, New Zealand, as well of course as six Australian states. However, the UK has stood against the trend for reform, despite poll after poll indicating sustained public support for its introduction. While countries such as Portugal, which are perceived as more socially conservative than the UK, are introducing legislation, the reluctance of successive UK governments to back reform is looking increasingly out of step with its neighbours in similar liberal democracies. The chief arguments used by opponents tend to be concerns regarding adequate protection of the vulnerable, and the risk of a legislative “slippery slope”. This paper asks why the UK is becoming an outlier, and whether it may be the case that protection of the vulnerable, although a legitimate concern, is being used in some cases to cloak fundamental opposition to assisted dying. It also questions whether a threatened “slippery slope” in a moral issue such as assisted dying is necessarily something to be feared, or whether it might reflect the natural evolution of social thought.
Biography
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