London: Following a decision by a group of Peers, opposed to Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill, not to vote against the Bill at its Second Reading debate this Friday (18 July), SPUC Pro-Life is urging supporters to keep on lobbying members of the House of Lords both to oppose and to vote against the Bill. SPUC Pro-Life is a leading anti-euthanasia group which was represented officially in the High Court in the Diane Pretty and Debbie Purdy assisted suicide cases.
In a letter published in today's Times the group said: "In the light of the opinion expressed recently by the Supreme Court that Parliament should consider whether, and if so how, the law should be changed, we believe, albeit reluctantly, that the bill should have an unopposed second reading and proceed to its committee stage."
A spokesman for SPUC said: "By deciding not to vote against the Bill at Second Reading, this group of Peers is bowing to the flawed opinions of biased judges and to questionable parliamentary convention, rather than the urgent need to protect the right to life. The Bill does not need to be debated by Parliament, either in general or in detail. Assisted suicide was debated in the last parliamentary session and in previous sessions and does not deserve further consideration.
"The Falconer bill is a dangerous and deceitful proposal, which will lead to wider and wider demands for disabled people and others to be granted a 'right to die,' concluded the spokesman.
The Supreme Court has threatened to overturn the existing law if Parliament does not allow people to help others commit suicide. The media and a number of celebrities are ranged against the pro-life position.
Mark Davies, the Catholic bishop of Shrewsbury, has said of the Falconer bill: "... whilst we recall the heroism of generations before us, we must not fail to recognise the great challenge for our own generation. We are now being called upon to defend the sanctity of human life amidst the growing threats against it."
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