To have issue with the idea of assisted suicide?

[wannaBe]

The high court is to hear the appeal of a man who wants doctors to be allowed to help him die. He had a stroke and has locked-in syndrome which basically means that he is of sound mind but his poly is completely paralyzed.

I understand his desire to want to die, I really do. But I still have massive issue with the idea that a court might actually grant permission for doctors to essentially be allowed to kill him. And you can call it assisted suicide, but the doctors will need to administer whatever medication would be required in order for him to die.

Suicide in the UK is illegal. If this man were able to kill himself, where possible, he would be prevented from doing so.

If someone attempts suicide and fails then every step has to be taken to try to save them, even though the knowledge is there that death is what they want.

So on the one hand we have a law that says that if you try to kill yourself and fail you will be saved, or if we believe you are suicidal we will take steps to prevent you from carrying out a suicide, yet on the other we have people arguing for the right to be killed in the name of suicide.

It's a blatant double standard and really doesn't sit well with me.

is suicide in the uk still illegal?

his body is completely paralyzed oops typos.

I thought that suicide was no longer illegal in the UK.

But this isn't just a "I can't be arsed with life today" spur of the moment thing, the man in this case has been sure since 2007 he wants to have the control to end his life. I can't begin to imagine the frustration of being in his situation with little control over anything.

I am all for assisted suicide in the cases where quality of life is going to be low and chances of recovery are slim. Of course it's not a decision that should be taken lightly and it's an area which needs tight control but if I am ever in that situation I would hope someone would help me.

Suicide hasn't been illegal since 1961

There's a difference between committing suicide because of mental ill health and wanting to field because you have essentially become a lump of lead that can think and feel but have little to no outlet for those feelings....its a difficult subject but i think it is unreasonable to expect people to have no control over what happens to them. Wed not let an animal live like this....

This man may not have control of his body but he has control of his mind. He should be allowed to make his own decision on his body/life.

If the suicide thing is still illegal, I disagree with it as well (I don't see how criminalising someone in such distress is helpful).

So imo, YABU

It doesn't sit right with me either. Its not for other people to decide when or if or how someone dies, unless they're on life support with no hope or such like.

Suicide is legal

We are entitled to refuse medical treatment if we're of sound mind, even if that medical treatment will be life-saving.

But we're not allowed to take the life of someone else, no matter whether they wish us to or not.

I strongly hope this man is given the help he needs to end his life.

I am very concerned that allowing assisted suicide is the thin end of a very large wedge. I believe that there will be cases where people will request it as a result of pressure to make life easier for others rather than a desire to end everything for their own sakes. I have a lot of sympathy with people who reach this point but I prefer the way we have it now, where it is illegal but no-one is actually charged with assisting in these situations. I also have concerns regarding the doctors that would be required to carry out these procedures. People do not, as a rule, train for years to help people to die, they become doctors in order to save lives. That's the bottom line. How would that affect the people who are required to, in reality, kill someone?

Suicide is NOT illegal. And if this man wants to die, and he can find a willing doctor, let him do so.

like you op I have mixed feelings, but in this case I think he knows exactly what he wants and should be allowed to die in the way he wants.

Hmm, thorny issue.

In my opinion, I feel that euanasia is a dangerous concept simply because it is the physically vulnerable who would take this option and it is open to abuse.

However, there is a huge difference between my friend who was suicidal because she had untreated mental health issues and the guy currently in court.
His mind is fine, he knows what he wants and is deemed to be rational.
My friend on the other hand was ill, now she's well and suicide is most definitely something that she would never consider.
He is never going to be well, he is going to deteriorate and he wants to have a choice over how much he will have to endure.

As much as I am uncomfortable with it, who am I to remove his right to choose when his quality of life is no longer enough for him to want go live.

"Its not for other people to decide when or if or how someone dies"

No - it is for the individual to decide.

Unfortunately for the man in question he does not have autonomy to choose to die as the rest of us do, because he is too disabled. I believe disabled people should be supported to live, or die, like the rest of us.

Legalising assisted suicide is a terrible idea. If you want to see where it can end up read this.

I hope they do grant him permission, if an animal had the same problems as that man it would be put down straight away. I think if people that are in the right frame of mind and are terminally ill or will have a very low quality of life like the man paralyzed then they should have the right to end it.

Sirzy I'm sure anyone who commits suicide is absolutely sure that that is what they want.

But it's a fact that if an able-bodied person (even one who is disabled but able enough to carry out their own suicide) would be prevented from doing so where possible.

My mum has Parkinsons, she is only in her 50's.

She has been very clear since she was diagnosed that when her quality of life reaches a certain level she will more than likely go off to Dignitas and have an assisted suicide.

She's my mum and i love her and it breaks my heart. I could have never imagined that i would support that decision. But seeing her get ill and knowing that it will get worse and one day she will not be able to take care of herself i do.

It's her life, she should be able to make the right decision for her. So i don't have any issue with it.

Clownsarescary - assisted suicide lets someone have just that thought, control over what happens to themselves. By not allowing someone who wants to die to die you are removing that control.

Wannabe - do you really think it would be a case of them saying "I want to die" and being helped straight away?

The process before it could even be considered is going to be a long one fraught with legalities, if there is any doubt it wouldn't happen.

Why should someone who has been consistently sure they want to die for 5 years be forced to live?

this man has every right imo to choose if he lives or dies , He has no quality of life , and Is unhappy , he doesnt want to get his wife to do it she would be charged with murder wouldnt she , and he also doesnt want to go abroad to do it either , Im not sure how this will work or if he can get a dr to agree to do this i think there is still another trial to go ?

Tony is for the moment of sound mind I cant imagine what locked in syndrome is like for him but he has the right to live or die as he sees fit ,

YABU. That poor man is in a living hell. How dare anyone else make such a big decision on his behalf. Not granting him his wish is prolonging his agony.

Doctors can already stop treatment of a patient, they already assist death albeit inevitable deaths.stopping treatment isn't a quick end for the patient though. My relative chose to refuse treatment for his terminal cancer after several painful chemotherapy sessions that didn't improve his quality of life. His death was a long drawn out affair, he made it clear that if he could have chosen a faster more dignified conclusion he would have done.
We already have d n r orders, is it really such a huge step? The key is sound of mind I think.

The thing with this case is that he could in theory refuse nutrients and slowly starve himself to death - which I fear he will do should his request be denied. An awful slow and probably very uncomfortable way to die.
He could also with help travel to dignitas clinic and be assisted in his death there - also a stressful situation for all as travel will obviously be so very difficult for him and his carers.

So the question simply is do we have the right to insist he follows either of those paths when he finally decides enough is enough? Or should we allow his carer to do here what they would have to do in dignitas and give him the lethal medication for a quicker though not entirely painless end him the comfort of his own home?

Im glad I am not the judge being requested to consider this, I know where my heart is on this and its not the same place as my head.

What ever anyones opinion it is his life and he has the right to take it if he wishes - do we have the right to stop him? No, not since the 60's.

My nan died of terminal cancer, she was constantly drugged and it took weeks for her to die. She went from being my lovely nan to someone I didn't recognize anymore. It was heartbreaking to see and I'm sure if she had the choice she would have ended it at the beginning instead of suffering and lay waiting for weeks in her bed to die