UK on ‘slippery slope’ towards ‘death on demand’ – Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood warns against vote on assisted dying

The UK is “on a slippery slope towards death on demand”, according to the Justice Secretary ahead of the House of Commons’ historic vote on assisted dying.

In a letter to her constituents, Shabana Mahmood expressed “deep concern” about the legislation.

“Unfortunately, recent scandals – such as Hillsborough, infected blood and Poczta Horyzont – have reminded us that the state and those acting on its behalf are not always benevolent,” she wrote.

“I have always been of the opinion that for this reason the state should have a clearly defined role. It should protect and preserve life, not take it.

“The state should never offer death as a favor.”

Analysis: The intervention of the Justice Secretary may be embarrassing for the Prime Minister

On November 29, lawmakers will be asked to consider whether to legalize assisted dyingthrough the Kim Leadbeater Terminally Ill (End of Life) Act.

Details of the rules were published last week, including confirmation that a drug that will end a patient’s life will have to be self-administered and people must be terminally ill and expected to die within six months.

However, Ms Mahmood said that “life expectancy predictions are often inaccurate”.

“Doctors can confidently predict the date of death in the last days of life,” she said. “The assessment of who can and cannot be considered for assisted suicide will therefore be subjective and imprecise.”

Under the Labor MP’s proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient’s eligibility for assisted dying and a High Court judge must agree.

The bill also provides for penalties of up to 14 years in prison for people who break the law, including forcing someone to take their own life.

But Mahmood expressed concerns that the legislation could “put pressure” on some of them to end their lives.

“It cannot be overstated what a profound change assisted suicide heralds in our culture,” she wrote.

“In my opinion, the biggest risk is the pressure that older, vulnerable, sick or disabled people can put on themselves.”

Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, said some of the issues raised by Ms Mahmood had been answered “during the careful development and presentation of the bill”.

“The strict eligibility criteria make it very clear that we are only talking about people who are already dying,” she said.

“Therefore, the bill is called the “Terminally Ill Persons (End of Life) Act”; its scope cannot be changed and it expressly does not cover any other group of persons.

“The bill would give dying people autonomy, dignity and the ability to shorten their deaths if they want to do so.”

In response to Ms Mahmood’s concerns about patients being forced to choose an assisted death, Ms Leadbeater said she had consulted widely with doctors and judges.

“People I spoke to told me they were well-equipped to ask the right questions to detect coercion and see if the person really wants it. It is an integral part of their work,” she said.

In an increasingly heated debate on the issue, many Labor MPs have expressed their concerns.

In a letter to ministers on October 3, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case confirmed that “the Prime Minister has chosen to set aside collective responsibility for the content of this Bill” and that the Government “will therefore remain neutral on the adoption of the Bill and the issue of assisted dying”.