An amendment that would have the effect of legalizing assisted suicide has been tabled to the government's Coroners and Justice Bill in the House of Lords.

29 May 2009

Despite the Government saying that they did not want such an amendment attached to the Bill, it has been tabled by Lord Alderdice. Although the amendment has little chance of success, it is very important that it is strongly opposed at the committee stage debate, which is scheduled for 9th and 10th June.

Please write to members of the House of Lords and urge them to oppose Lord Alderdice's amendment. You can either contact them by email (via this link: http://www.spuc.org.uk/lobbying/email/ ) or - better still - by post, at House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW. (The link gives the names and titles of the peers.)

Letters, like emails should be sent individually to each member of the Lords (please do not put several letters to different individuals in one envelope - they are not likely to reach the intended recipients!)

Lord Alderdice's amendment seeks to insert the following clause in the Suicide Act:

"Exceptions to offence of assisting suicide

Notwithstanding sections 49 to 51, no offence shall have been committed if assistance is given to a person to commit suicide who is suffering from a confirmed, incurable and disabling illness which prevents him from carrying through his own wish to bring his life to a close, if the person has received certification from a coroner who has investigated the circumstances, and satisfied himself that it is indeed the free and settled wish of the person that he brings his life to a close."

(Sections 49-51 of the Coroners and Justice Bill make otherwise innocuous amendments to the Suicide Act.)

The full text can be seen here <http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldbills/033/amend/am033-d.htm> .