Concerns Raised Over Assisted Suicide Legislation by Incoming Archbishop
As the debate over legalizing assisted suicide intensifies, Dame Sarah Mullally, soon to be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, has voiced serious concerns. She argues that legal changes could endanger vulnerable individuals and mislead them into believing they have a choice that might not truly exist.
In a candid interview with former Prime Minister Theresa May, who took on the role of guest editor for BBC’s Today Programme, Mullally shared her insights. With a background as England’s chief nursing officer, she has witnessed end-of-life scenarios both in medical and spiritual contexts. Despite proposed safeguards, Mullally believes that assisted suicide legislation could fail to protect those most at risk.
Echoing sentiments previously expressed by another former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, Dame Sarah highlights a critical issue: the disparity between suicide services and palliative care funding. Brown had warned that without adequate palliative care, those with terminal illnesses might not have a genuine choice.
Mullally stated, “Those who support the bill talk about choice. I’m not sure we have choice – we don’t properly fund palliative care, we don’t properly fund palliative-care research … I’m worried that people may make a decision for assisted dying because they’re not having the right palliative care or the right social care.”
Theresa May has previously expressed her opposition to assisted suicide, notably during a House of Lords debate. She questioned the logic of promoting a suicide prevention strategy while simultaneously supporting assisted suicide through the NHS.
Currently, legislative efforts to legalize assisted suicide are underway in both Westminster and Scotland’s Holyrood parliament. In Westminster, the bill is under review by the House of Lords, while Scotland’s version has reached Stage 3, with a final vote potentially happening as early as March.
During a Lords debate on Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, Dame Sarah criticized the proposals as “deeply flawed,” cautioning that legislative changes could fundamentally alter societal values.
“Any law that introduces choice for a few is not limited in its effect to only those few. If passed, the bill will signal that we are a society that believes that some lives are not worth living,” she expressed. “The bill would become our state-endorsed position, and our NHS would be active in its delivery. It is the role of the House to scrutinise, but there are no amendments to the bill that could safeguard us completely from its negative effects.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
