‘Assisted dying could undermine our values’

Political and religious leaders, as well as many concerned readers who have contacted the Guernsey Press, have said they are worried about the potential unintended consequences of legalising the practice locally.

They said that changes to laws elsewhere have been too recent for the effects to be fully understood, and are urging deputies to take an extremely cautious approach when assisted dying is debated by the States ahead of next year’s general election.

Campaigners said that deputies should not be influenced by a recent poll which indicated that support for a change to the law may now be running at nearly 90%.

‘While I remain sympathetic to individual situations, this is a matter which has the potential to change our attitudes fundamentally,’ said Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, a long-term opponent of the idea.

‘We would be foolish rapidly to throw out values which have made us very cautious towards potentially making the ending of life, or indeed suicide, more accessible and easy, simply because we are swayed by an individual story or a loved one close to us, without at the very least fully understanding why it is that our culture has developed resistance to this in the past.

COLUMN

• With the subject of assisted dying expected to return for debate later this year, Deputy Peter Ferbrache shares his personal experiences of loved ones dying

‘We are talking about something which could potentially change our culture and attitude towards older people and vulnerable members of our community for a very long time.’

A recent local survey organised by Island Global Research found that more than eight out of 10 ‘strongly supported’ or ‘somewhat supported’ allowing a mentally competent and terminally ill person to choose an assisted death.

About three in four respondents wanted the issue debated before the current States term ends in June 2025, which now looks certain after Deputy Gavin St Pier said he would lead a requete in the next 12 months.

The Dean of Guernsey, the Very Rev. Tim Barker, said it was not for him to comment on what the States should or should not be debating, but he asked politicians and islanders to ‘think very carefully and deeply about the consequences’ of allowing assisted dying and appealed for ‘a mature and honest debate’, respecting all points of view.

‘A main concern of mine is about vulnerable people,’ said Mr Barker.

‘It could in time become more difficult for people to resist the encouragement to have an assisted death. That could include encouragement from within themselves to do what could come to be seen as the right thing, as well as encouragement from unscrupulous people.’

• Read more views in Wednesday’s Press.