Parliament
12 & 19 September, 2025. House of Lords – Debates on Assisted Suicide.
Our Lord explained why He came into the world:
‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full’ (John 10:10).
The “thief” refers to false leaders and false, destructive ideologies, while Jesus offers beyond what the world can offer: abundant, satisfying life and freedom, despite life’s challenges, into eternity.
The ideology of assisted suicide leaves vulnerable people feeling that they have a duty to die. Cardinal Hume once said that no human being should be put in this position.
The legal right of patients to ask for a lethal prescription to take the oral drug themselves, may become a legal right to ask for a lethal injection, particularly if they are physically unable to take the drugs, or having taken them, are suffering a complicated, difficult dying process.
Both September debates in the House of Lords revealed faith, wisdom, courage, and true compassion, and a sound evidence base of many Peers who argued that legalized assisted suicide is abandonment of patients.
Dignity in dying, can be provided by well-funded, researched palliative care until the natural end of life, in Our Lord’s words: ‘life to the full’.
5 June 2025
Assisted Dying and Domestic Abuse
The assisted dying bill is being discussed in Parliament on the 13th and 20th of this month.
Many people consider that allowing people to choose death reflects a compassionate, well- intentioned perspective.
But this is a dangerous, unsafe development for vulnerable people. It is important that an intense lobby for palliative care should be the focus for any change in the law, rather than this negative development promoting assisted suicide. This is an extreme threat to the vulnerable as we see in Europe, Canada and Australia where assisted dying is legal and palliative care is diminished, good doctors and nurses are leaving the profession due to conscientious objection and money is saved by the Health services. The latter outcome has been predicted by the UK government’s Impact Assessment. Such well documented outcomes undermine trust of patients in health professionals and causes many to fear coercion. Patients deserve better than this.
There are many aspects of this debate which need to be understood by the media and politicians. One example is the impact on those who are already subject to domestic abuse.
Academic experts who specialise in the area of domestic abuse, are warning that many domestic abuse victims will be put at more risk of suicide if MSP Liam McArthur and MP Kim Leadbeater’s bills become law.
There may be up to 1,200 domestic abuse victims who could be pressured into taking their own lives should assisted suicide be legalised in England and Wales, and Scotland.
- That’s a FIVEFOLD increase in annual domestic violence-related deaths.
The victims of this abuse deserve better than such proposed legislation.
29 November 2024
Assisted dying vote
Following the decision of MPs to vote in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at the Second Reading today (29 November), Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues, said:
“We are disappointed that MPs have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill progressing through parliament. We believe that this bill is flawed in principle and also contains particular clauses that are of concern. We ask the Catholic community to pray that members of parliament will have the wisdom to reject this bill at a later stage in its progress.
“In addition to being opposed to the principle of assisted suicide, we are particularly concerned with clauses in the bill that prevent doctors from properly exercising conscientious objection, provide inadequate protection to hospices and care homes that do not wish to participate in assisted suicide and allow doctors to initiate conversations about assisted suicide. We ask that these voices be heard in the next stages of the Bill to strengthen the deep concerns about this proposed legislation.
“We have expressed the view, during this debate, that genuine compassion involves walking with those who need care, especially during sickness, disability and old age. The vocation to care is at the heart of the lives of so many people who look after their loved ones and is the sign of a truly compassionate society. It is essential that we nurture and renew the innate call that many people have to compassionately care for others.
“It remains the case that improving the quality and availability of palliative care offers the best pathway to reducing suffering at the end of life. We will continue to advocate for this and support those who work tirelessly to care for the dying in our hospices, hospitals and care homes.”
See the interview with GB News of Pro life retired Physician, Dr Philip Howard:
November 2024
Assisted Dying, UK Eugenics?
The UK Parliament is preparing for a second reading of the Leadbeater bill on
Assisted Dying on 29 November. This is the latest of several attempts to bring in
assisted dying /suicide to the UK. Parliament is yet again being asked to bring in a
dangerous law which can only go the way of jurisdictions which have seen
‘safeguards’ swept away, palliative care diminished, medical professionals leaving
the profession as part of conscientious objection, trust of patients eroded by reduction
of optimum palliative care and feeling distrust in a health service which would
financially benefit by the quick, cheap option of deaths of vulnerable patients, not
to mention the risk of coercive and cash strapped relatives. Any suggested benefits of
legalised assisted dying are so clearly outweighed by the numerous negatives.
It will be a sad day for the vulnerable in the UK if what is happening in Canada with
its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) disaster for vulnerable people is not
considered as a huge red flag by those who intend to vote for this bill.
The term ‘assisted dying’ seems to have superseded ‘assisted suicide’. Is this because
the perception of any element of patient autonomy needs to be discarded? Some
would argue that the eugenic basis for this bill cannot be overlooked.
See the discussion of the dangers for palliative care provision with a palliative care
physician, Dr Dominic Whitehouse and the Director of the Anscombe Bioethics
Centre, Professor David Jones:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OWSviNMtxLs
News: UK
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Supreme Court Ruling, July 2018 for patients in persistent, non- responsive states
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The ‘slippery slope’ takes over when ideology trumps compassion, positive medicine and true patient advocacy. This judgement is an attack on innocent human lives whose need for nutrition and fluids is a fundamental right. The following principle should be morally binding: To make an attempt on the life of, or to kill an innocent person is an evil action. This sad development will place nurses in terrible situations, requiring courage and steadfast patient advocacy in line with their Code of Conduct. See more via this link:
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http://www.lifenews.com/2018/07/30/british-supreme-court-rules-patients-life-support-can-be-revoked-without-consent-without-a-court-hearing/
- 2018: Noel Conway’s later Appeal has been rejected.
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October 2017. Former lecturer with Motor Neurone Disease fails in bid to be helped to commit suicide but intends to appeal the ruling.
- Noel Conway’s case was supported by Humanists UK , Dignity in Dying and opposed by the secretary of state for justice. Care Not Killing and Not Dead Yet UK, also made submissions.The British Medical Association has previously expressed its opposition to physician-assisted dying, saying it risked putting “vulnerable people at risk of harm” and would be “contrary to the ethics of clinical practice”.
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ttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/05/entombed-man-noel-conway-loses-high-court-fight-end-life
UK: Noel Conway Case for legal Assisted Suicide at the High Court on 17 July 2017
Attempts by Dignity in Dying to achieve a change in the law continue. This is despite the overwhelming defeat of the Maris Bill in 2015 by 330 – 118 votes and numerous preceding failed Bill attempts to change the law. This latest DID attempt, supports Mr Noel Conway, in yet another try for a change in the law.
Please see an analysis of this case from the Care not Killing Alliance here:
Nikki Kenward of ‘Distant Voices’ demonstrated outside the High Court (17 July 2017) during Noel Conway’s legal bid for assisted suicide. See Nikki talking to the BBC that day:
- DOCTORS UNDER PRESSURE : [This Report is important for all pro life professionals irrespective of their care area]
PRESS RELEASE 21st JULY 2016. From: Fiona Bruce MP, Chair of the Pro-Life All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)
DOCTORS UNDER PRESSURE TO IGNORE THEIR FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
CONGLETON MP CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PRO-LIFE DOCTORS
A group of MPs led by Congleton MP Fiona Bruce have called on Government and NHS governing bodies to ensure that the legal right of healthcare professionals to conscientious objection to taking part in abortions is properly protected. The All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, chaired by Congleton MP Fiona Bruce, found that there is increasing pressure on healthcare professionals with a conscientious objection to abortion to participate in the abortion process.
While the Inquiry, which received evidence from 150 different witnesses, including many healthcare professionals, healthcare bodies and abortion providers, heard accounts from nurses, midwives and doctors who had been pressured and discriminated against despite their right to conscientious objection, often seeing their career or training options limited. The British Medical Association confirmed that some doctors have complained of being harassed and discriminated against because of their conscientious objection to abortion.
The Report makes clear that, whilst there is legal protection for healthcare professionals who have a conscientious objection to participating in abortion, this is not being observed in practice.
It also recommends that the Government conduct a review into the training of medical students, and calls for the principle of ‘Reasonable Accommodation’ to be introduced into legislation in this country. The report calls specifically on the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists to publish a statement clarifying its position on this issue.
Fiona Bruce MP, who has been Member of Parliament from the Congleton constituency since 2010, said ‘Freedom of conscience is a key part of living in a diverse and democratic society. It is vital that conscientious health professionals who do not wish to participate in abortion can be confident in their right to opt-out of doing so without fear of censure, discrimination or abuse. It is essential that our hardworking doctors, nurses and midwives are given the protection the law requires if they do not want to participate in abortions.’
ENDS.
The full report can be found at: www.conscienceinquiry.uk
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