8:30am Sunday 22nd November 2009
CARE not Killing is a UK-based alliance that brings together human rights groups, healthcare groups, palliative care groups, faith-based organisations and concerned individuals.
Its aims are: 1. Promoting more and better palliative care; 2. Ensuring that existing laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are not weakened or repealed during the lifetime of the current Parliament; 3. Influencing the balance of public opinion further against any weakening of the law.
The agenda of Care not Killing is to achieve the three aims outlined above. You can find out more about its strategy by going to the website – www.carenotkilling.org.uk Few people would be against promoting more and better palliative care. Here, in Andover we are blessed with the excellent service offered by the Countess of Brecknock Hospice.
Nevertheless, we are posed with questions which face society in general. Should there be occasions when those who assist someone to commit suicide are not prosecuted and on what grounds should this judgement be made? We hear of people who are terminally ill and in fear of what lies ahead in terms of loss of dignity, increased pain and diminished ability to contribute to the family or society.
Our hearts go out to such people and to close members of their family and friends. Hard cases make bad law. The law has to protect members of society and must be very carefully and wisely drawn up.
There must always be room for those who apply the law to use prudence and for those who pass sentence to exercise leniency and mercy.
Christians and many in other faiths share a sense of the dignity of human life, as gift from God and we even attribute value to suffering.
This view is not necessarily shared by everyone, but it is my opinion that the law in this country against assisting suicide is adequate as it stands. Guidelines regarding its interpretation should not exclude the possibility of prosecution just because the victim had terminal illness, severe disability or chronic illness.
Nor should the fact that the person who assists someone to commit suicide was a spouse, partner or close relative ensure that they will not be prosecuted.
Of course it is right that the Director of Public Prosecutions should have discretion, when there are exceptional circumstances and to prosecute would not be in the public interest.
This is sufficient to provide for hard cases. The main thrust of the law should be to protect vulnerable people who could easily become victim of unscrupulous persons. Prosecution of those who assist in suicide should remain the norm. Hard cases can be dealt with by exercising due discretion.
Peter Codd, Parish Priest of St John the Baptist, Andover.
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