Express & Star

Wolverhampton MP Rob Marris counting down to assisted dying bill debate

A Black Country MP has defended his proposed 'assisted dying' bill amid claims that judges will not have long enough to come to a decision on each case.

Published

Rob Marris's draft assisted dying bill says: "Upon receiving an application by the person, the High Court shall dispose of it within 14 days or as soon as reasonably practical thereafter."

Parliament will debate the bill on September 11 after it was proposed by Wolverhampton South West MP Mr Marris. The bill is being backed by celebrities including Monty Python's Eric Idle and Star Trek's Sir Patrick Stewart. And campaign group Dignity in Dying says one person a fortnight goes to Dignitas in Switzerland to end their lives. However, Prime Minister David Cameron has already voiced his opposition.

Opponents also say the two-week 'disposal' period would result in rubber stamping medical decisions without enough scrutiny by a judge. Under the plan patients would have to have reached a voluntary and clear decision to want to die. They would have to make the decision in writing and have it witnessed by someone who is not a relative or a carer, countersigned by two doctors, each entirely independent of the other.

Then it would go to a High Court Family Division judge for consent.

Mr Marris said: "The two-week period is intended to stop the courts putting these matters to the bottom of the pile. But it is absolutely not the case that a judge would get handed an application and then just approve it. The bill says it is 14 days or as soon as reasonably practical."

But barrister and former government adviser Lord Carlile of Berriew said the 14-day requirement showed there would be no proper examination of cases.

He said: "It is merely asking the judge to rubber stamp some procedural acts agreed by the doctors rather than examine the merits."

"We need a much more robust examination of whether it really is the case that an individual's rights are so badly damaged by the denial of access to assisted suicide that this extraordinary step should be permitted."

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of the campaign group Dignity in Dying, said: "With over 300 terminally ill people per year taking their own lives in this country behind closed doors, it is vital that Parliament no longer turns a blind eye."

The Lords demonstrated it is now a question of how, not if, we change the law and I look forward to members of parliament discussing the best law to protect vulnerable people but crucially give dying people choice."

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.