Assisted Dying: Should It Be Legalised in the UK?

ACADEMIC ESSAY –
ASSISTED DYING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY...........................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................8
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INTRODUCTION
Assisted dying comes under the category of suicide which allows the people to deliberately
commit and opt for their death. Majorly this is used and opted by the people or patients
who are suffering from critical illness and chronic and terminal diseases. This essay covers
and discusses the topic “Should assist dying to be legalised in the UK”. There are many
countries like Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and in many US states like Washington,
Vermont etc (Dyer, et al. 2015). The essay also covers the difference between Human
euthanasia and assisted dying and various factors and acts governing assisted dying in the
UK. Several arguments were made both in support and against the assisted dying in the UK
arguing that it should be made legal in the UK or not. Assisted dying is one of the major
concerns for the social and human rights commission and the people sufferings from
terminal illnesses and chronic disease.
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MAIN BODY
Assisted dying is a crucial and major debatable topic among the healthcare and various
social communities. The cases of assisted dying are ideologically not considered as
humanistic; also it is well quoted as no one has the right to kill or commit suicide against
gods will. Assisted dying is termed as a legalised death of a person by his own will and
decision without any opinion and force of others person i.e. free from coercion (Broussard,
2016). This can be undertaken and opted when a person is not physically fit or unable to
perform his/her daily routine works and is terminally ill and also requires medical support
which causes them great pain and sufferings. The UK being a developed nation has
undertaken various measures to provide a better health care services and world-class
facilities to support the patients with the chronic and terminal illness. But there are certain
cases in where this facility and medical help provided by the government and support from
various health and care centres and communities of social welfare does not reduce or
diminutions the pain and agony of the people (Frost, et al. 2014).
There are countries where assisted dying is legal such as Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and
in many US states like Columbia, Washington etc. Euthanasia similar to assisted dying is
legal in Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada and India. The basic difference between
assisted dying and euthanasia is that in assisted dying the person himself performs or
commits the action of dying while in euthanasia the third person says doctors or physicians
are involved in the patient’s death (Emanuel, et al. 2016). Example the patients or person
intentionally taking an overdose of drugs or swallowing harmful chemicals is a case of
assisted dying; whereas if a doctor is giving a lethal injection to the patient causing his/her
death is an act of euthanasia. Both these acts are illegal in the UK as it is argued that it is not
morally correct and is against the values and customs of the society and ethics prevailed in
humans. Also, the religious believers and humanists tend to totally unaccepting and support
assisted dying (Levin, et al. 2018). It was argued that every individual has the freedom to
take a decision but this does not uphold the right to death or commit suicide. This is
recognised as non-humanistic and threating, a life-ending decision which is against nature's
law and jurisdiction of mankind.
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