Assisted Dying Law Change Backed by ‘Citizens’ Jury’

September 13, 2024

a silhouette of a person sitting by water at sunset

(BBC) – The first “citizens’ jury” on assisted dying in England has backed a change in the law to allow people who are terminally ill to end their life. A jury of 28 people concluded it should be an option for those judged to have capacity to make their own decisions.

While it has no legal powers, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which set up the jury, said it represented a crucial new piece of evidence in the debate as it allowed the public to consider the issues more deeply than they could in surveys. However, campaigners questioned the validity of the exercise, as a majority of those recruited were already in favour of changing the law. (Read More)