People from all walks of life have said assisted dying should be allowed in England.
Randomly selected citizens took part in a so-called citizen’s jury panel to discuss assisted dying services.
Stopping pain and giving people dignity were among the top reasons for support.
However, the panel stressed that only the terminally ill and those with the capacity to decide to end their life should have access to the dying service.
They deliberated for eight weeks as part of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB).
The decision was given after the group saw information on assisted dying, including written materials, videos and presentations.
A majority of the panel agreed that the law should be changed to permit it in England – a final vote was cast by 28 jury members, with 20 in favour.
Seven people disagreed with any potential law change and one person was undecided.
‘We had to watch her suffer for months’
The citizen’s council comes after an Assisted Dying Bill was formally introduced in the House of Lords in July.
Some of the panel members said their decision to support assisted dying came after personal experiences with end-of-life care.
Ashok, a jury member, said he drew on his personal experience of working with people over 65 and in palliative care to come to his decision.
He explained: ‘There was an incident where there was a lady who had terminal cancer, and she had to suffer for nearly over seven months because she refused treatment, but she was not allowed to die.
‘So we had to watch her die on a daily basis. So that was really difficult for us.
A suicide pod created by Australian euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke – dubbed ‘Doctor Death’ – gives the user control to decide their death (Picture: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
‘It is a very sensitive topic for us to discuss, and with all the information that we were provided, we were able to join together to come to some kind of conclusion which will benefit the larger whole.’
Those who voted in favour said assisted dying should be carried out to stop pain and to give people the decision to end their life as well as the knowledge of dignified death.
Panelists against assisted dying warned that it could be used for the wrong reasons, misinterpreted, misused and could result in less funding for palliative care.
Professor Anne Kerr, chairwoman of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics’ assisted dying advisory board, said: ‘The jury findings indicate broad support for a change in the law in England, with some important details about what this should involve.
‘This is a significant finding that will be valuable for policymakers who are considering whether and how to take forward legislative change.’
The conversation around assisted dying has intensified in recent months.
Dame Esther Rantzen – who has stage four lung cancer – joined the fight for ‘right to die’ as she joined the campaign group Dignitas.
The Assisted Dying Bill – introduced by Lord Falconer of Thoroton – is set to be debated in mid-November.
Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said ‘citizens’ juries do not always represent the views of the public as a whole’.
‘Our laws are made in the UK Parliament which has consistently rejected the introduction of assisted suicide which has put vulnerable people at risk in countries where it has been legalised,’ she added.
‘Parliament ought instead to focus on improving access to high-quality palliative care.’
A government spokesperson said its successors have taken the view that changes to law ‘in this sensitive area is a matter for Parliament to decide.’
The debate around assisted dying and assisted suicide is controversial. However, a limited number of countries have allowed voluntary assisted suicide.
It has been legal in Switzerland since 1942, while assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, it is not a specific criminal offence but it could a person with murder charges among other offences.
Two pensioners from Suffolk announced recently they have decided to end their lives together in a controversial suicide pod created by Australian euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke rather than suffer infirmity and pain.
