Justice Secretary dubs assisted dying Bill ‘path to death on demand’
The state should “never offer death as a service”, the Justice Secretary has said, in a strongly worded intervention over the assisted dying Bill ahead of a historic Commons vote next week.
In a letter to constituents, Shabana Mahmood said she was “profoundly concerned” by the legislation, not just for religious reasons but because it could create a “slippery slope towards death on demand”, the Observer reported.
Ms Mahmood has previously made clear she would vote against the Bill alongside Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who faced a backlash after suggesting the changes would cost the NHS more.
But her letter to voters goes further, stating: “Sadly, recent scandals – such as Hillsborough, infected blood and the Post Office Horizon – have reminded us that the state and those acting on its behalf are not always benign.
“I have always held the view that, for this reason, the state should serve a clear role. It should protect and preserve life, not take it away. The state should never offer death as a service.”
She said “the greatest risk of all is the pressure the elderly, vulnerable, sick or disabled may place upon themselves”.
The intervention appears to be at odds with guidance set out by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case last month that ministers should remain neutral on the issue and avoid taking part in public debate.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declined to say whether he will back the Bill, arguing that he does not want to pressure MPs. Members will be given a free vote to act according to their personal beliefs, rather than in line with party policy.
But prominent figures including former prime minister Gordon Brown have voiced opposition to the legislation.
Ms Mahmood, Mr Streeting and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson have said they will vote against the Bill while care minister Stephen Kinnock said he supports it.
Proponents argue existing legislation fails to respect patient autonomy and discriminates financially between those who can afford to travel abroad to end their lives within the law and those who cannot.
Leading barristers including former director of public prosecutions Sir Max Hill KC have spoken in favour of the Bill, saying it would offer better safeguards than the current system through a process involving two doctors and a judge.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has described her Bill as the most “robust” in the world, with “three layers of scrutiny” in the form of a sign-off by two doctors and a High Court judge.
It would also make coercion an offence with a possible punishment of 14 years in jail.
The Bill, which covers England and Wales, states only terminally ill adults with under six months left to live and a settled wish to die would be eligible.
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