"The state should never offer death as a service."
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned that the UK is on a “slippery slope towards death on demand”, ahead of a vote on assisted dying.
In a letter to her Birmingham Ladywood constituency, Ms Mahmood was “profoundly concerned” about the legislation.
She wrote: “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.”
On November 29, 2024, MPs will be asked to consider whether to legalise assisted dying, through Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Details of the legislation included confirmation that the medicine to end a patient’s life will need to be self-administered and people must be terminally ill and expected to die within six months.
However, Ms Mahmood said that “predictions about life expectancy are often inaccurate”.
She continued: “Doctors can only predict a date of death, with any real certainty, in the final days of life.
“The judgment as to who can and cannot be considered for assisted suicide will therefore be subjective and imprecise.”
Under the proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
But Ms Mahmood was concerned that the legislation could “pressure” some into ending their lives.
She wrote: “It cannot be overstated what a profound shift in our culture assisted suicide will herald.
“In my view, the greatest risk of all is the pressure the elderly, vulnerable, sick or disabled may place upon themselves.”
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who put forward the bill, said some of the points Ms Mahmood raised have been answered “in the thorough drafting and presentation of the bill”.
She said:
“The strict eligibility criteria make it very clear that we are only talking about people who are already dying.”
“That is why the bill is called the ‘Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill’; its scope cannot be changed and clearly does not include any other group of people.
“The bill would give dying people the autonomy, dignity and choice to shorten their death if they wish.”
In response to Ms Mahmood’s concerns, Ms Leadbeater said she has consulted widely with doctors and judges.
She added: “Those I have spoken to tell me that they are well equipped to ask the right questions to detect coercion and to ascertain a person’s genuine wishes.
“It is an integral part of their work.”
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