The Daily T: Should you be able to choose when you die?
As Lord Falconer launches a private members’ bill to make assisted dying legal in the House of Lords, Kamal and Camilla catch up with him about why now is the right time to reignite one of the most controversial debates in the UK.
The bill, which was first brought to the House of Lords in 2013, has been given a second chance after broadcaster and journalist Dame Esther Rantzen reignited the debate when she disclosed her plan to travel to Dignitas alone after her stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis last year. Currently, the laws in England and Wales around assisted dying mean her family could face criminal charges if they help her with euthanasia.
In this Daily T Special, we also speak to Dame Esther about what it means to have a ‘good death’ and why she thinks the bill should pass. While Paralympic athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson argues the case against the bill, sharing her concerns about what it would mean for vulnerable disabled people.
Plus, a look at the case study of the Netherlands, where assisted dying is legal for people with mental health issues as well. We ask: is it a slippery slope?
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