Paul Lamb: Assisted dying campaigner from Leeds dies aged 65
An assisted dying campaigner from Leeds has passed away at the age of 65.
Paul Lamb was paralysed from the neck down, with limited movement in his right arm, in 1990 when he was seriously injured in a car accident - he required round the clock care and suffered daily pain.
Before his accident, the father of two had worked as a builder and was a champion greyhound racer.
Humanists UK, announced Paul's death this morning saying that he "dedicated his life to championing choice" for people with terminal or incurable illness.
Mr Lamb took on several legal challenges over the current law on assisted suicide, which he said breached his human rights - it is currently a criminal offence and carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence.
Speaking about the importance of the right to die at Humanists UK’s Convention in Cambridge in 2017, Paul said: "I know when it comes to it, in the later years of my life, this country will hopefully look after me.
"And ideally let me have a death in the privacy and comfort of my own home, with my family and friends that I want around me."
In 2014, Mr Lamb and the family of fellow right-to-die campaigner Tony Nicklinson lost their case at the Supreme Court, but judges said parliament should be given the opportunity to re-consider the law.
Five years later, lost a case at the High Court to challenge the law on assisted dying, with two judges telling him his case was "unarguable" and should not proceed to a full hearing.
Speaking about his death, Paul’s carer, Francesca Hepworth said: "Paul’s death has been a shock to us all, but I’m glad he is finally at peace.
"For years, Paul grappled with his condition and faced increasing pain, discomfort, and distress. But throughout it all, what scared him the most was his utter lack of control, and the prospect of his pain becoming too much to handle.
"I know Paul was resolute in his belief that nobody should be forced to suffer and determined to keep fighting to change the law on assisted dying."
Humanists UK’s Chief Executive Andrew Copson said: "Paul never accepted the injustice of our country’s ban on assisted dying for the incurably suffering, nor wavered in his determination to change the law.
"He leaves behind a fierce legacy of campaigning, which we are determined to continue in his honour. His death is a loss to us all, and our thoughts and wishes are with his friends and family."
Dr Gordon Macdonald, Chief Executive of Care Not Killing commented: "Mr Lamb was a dedicated campaigner, who challenged all those who oppose assisted suicide and euthanasia to set out our concerns, including how our current laws protect the most vulnerable in our society, the elderly, the sick and disabled from feeling pressured into ending their lives, as we see in the few places around the world that allow assisted suicide or euthanasia."