Ian SwalesMP for Redcar |
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Swales calls for Dignity in Dying
July 5, 2012 11:13 AM
Yesterday afternoon (July 4th) Ian Swales MP attended a reception held by Dignity in Dying to highlight the need for assisted dying for the terminally ill. This meeting follows a recent Office of National Statistics Report: The National Bereavement Survey, and a debate in Parliament on 27th March in which Ian spoke.
The debate surrounding a dignified death has received a lot of media attention recently, with Tony Nicholson's case reaching the High Court in recent weeks and the ONS report highlighting issues surrounding the right to choose where people would like to die when the time comes.
Commenting, Ian Swales MP said:
" I was very pleased to have the opportunity to further discuss this important issue. I support the principle that people unable to end their own lives should be able to request their loved ones help them in doing so without fear of prosecution. It goes without saying that those who cruelly or recklessly encourage suicide should be prosecuted. But I do not believe it is in the public interest to prosecute a normally law abiding citizen who helps a loved one to die on compassionate grounds.
"I feel there is wide support for this in Parliament and throughout the country and support the guidelines from the Director of Public Prosecutions. I would welcome the opportunity to improve the law itself to make things clearer for all concerned."