The UK's Falconer Commission Is In The Tank for Assisted Suicide

The UK Falconer Commission into assisted suicide is clearly a farce, as it’s funded by a pro-deather and most of the Commission’s members are pro-deathers. Once again, the Telegraph’s George pitcher gets it right, and raises interesting questions for Falconer. It’ll be interesting to see if his Lordship replies.

An open letter and some questions for Lord Falconer on his 'Commission' on Assisted Dying

Dear Lord Falconer,

I see that you write in The Times today that your “Commission on Assisted Dying” is “independent” and conducting a “serious and dispassionate investigation” into the need for a change in the law for those who assist someone to commit suicide.

Separately, you have invited me, among many others, to give evidence to this “Commission”. It is an invitation that you have repeated to me on air on national radio. On first examination, this might seem like a sensible invitation: I have written a book on what I see as the incontrovertible cases against the introduction of assisted suicide or euthanasia into our legislature and I am fully in favour of rational and evidence-based debate on this important subject.

But, whatever one’s view on this issue, it is difficult to see how your “Commission” can be interpreted as anything even approaching “independent” or “dispassionate”. You, Lord Falconer, chair it and your views on this subject are well known – indeed, you have tried and failed to introduce an amendment to law in the House of Lords that would have made assisted suicide lawful. Eight of the 12 members of your “Commission” are known to hold pro-assisted suicide views and, among the remainder, there is not one known or public opponent of it. Your “Commission” is sponsored by Sir Terry Pratchett, who has publicly declared that assisted suicide should be available for those with dementia, and the lobby group Dignity in Dying, formerly the Voluntary Euthanasia Society. more