Euthanasia debate starts again

A Guernsey campaigner for legal voluntary euthanasia has responded to claims that the act denies choice to live.

Local campaigner for doctor-assisted death Deputy Pat Mellor has responded to claims by the Channel Islands' Right To Life group.

Deputy Mellor said she wished people behind such campaigns would be completely clear if they are opposed to legislation due to religious beliefs.

The Right To Life group said it is committed to upholding the dignity of human life, from its conception to its natural end and terminally ill people are not always equipped to make such important decisions.

Committee report

Deputy Pat Mellor said a leaflet recently sent to 20,000 homes in Guernsey by the organisation contains out-of-date information and is inaccurate.

Deputy Mellor, who successfully campaigned for an official investigation into doctor-assisted death, says voluntary euthanasia takes place anyway - it just is not legalised.

Deputy Mellor said of the views of the Right To Life group: "I can say that I'm quite happy for that to be their opinion, but what they mustn't do is expect the rest of us to agree with that opinion and have that enshrined in the law."

But the Right To life Group believes counselling is the only way of properly dealing with a terminal illness.

Angela Meadowcroft from the group said people are not always able to make such important decisions if facing such an illness.

She said: "If someone is very depressed about it and doesn't want to be the same as they've seen other people, and if euthanasia is legalised and they are given a month to think about it, then they will be euthanised because they have done it while of sound mind.

"They need help and counselling to get over the depression."

The UK Right to Life organisation said of a survey it held earlier this year: "Almost three out of four doctors (74%) would refuse to perform assisted suicide if it were legalised.

"A clear majority (56%) also consider that it would be impossible to set safe bounds to euthanasia, as compared to 37% who disagree."

The Advisory and Finance Committee is shortly due to produce a report on the implications of introducing "death with dignity" legislation locally.