Here are some interviews with those working on the frontline of both sides of the euthanasia debate
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DR DEATH
Dr Philip Nitschke, who is more commonly known as Dr Death, is the founder and director of EXIT International which is a not for profit organisation that helps individuals to end their lives.
Here he speaks openly about his pro-euthanasia beliefs.
In 1996 Dr Nitschke became the first physician in the world to administer a legal lethal voluntary injection under the now defunct Rights of the terminally Ill Act in Australia. Here he talks about his experience working with the new legislation and how that helped to mould his beliefs
Dr Nitschke talks about his views on the Hippocratic Oath and how he believes euthanasia does not contradict it
Dr Nitschke talks about how his first hand experiences with a variety of people who want to die has changed his view on who should be allowed to end their life
INTERVIEW WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DIGNITY IN DYING
James Harris is Head of Campaigns and Communications of the pro-euthanasia organisation Dignity in Dying. Here he talks about their aims and their views on asssited suicide and the proposed amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill.
“We campaign for greater patient choice at the end of life. Basically we believe that people should be able to access universal good quality end of life care and people should have more control over the decisions that are taken at the end of life so we support advanced decisions (living wills) and I suppose most famously we support the rights of terminally ill, mentally competent adults to have the choice of assisted death with strict legal safeguards."
There’s a problem at the moment where some people see this as an ethical debate but we see it in terms of actually there’s a problem and there are various guises to that problem. One of which is that people are travelling abroad to die because there’s not a legal option to do that in Britain.
You can talk about these mythical figures who would look to get hold of granny’s inheritance but we say look at abroad. Look at Oregon, they’ve had assisted dying now for about 12 years now and there’s no abuse there. We think a similar law shaped for our culture could work equally well here."
Watch what else he has to say in the short film below
INTERVIEW WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM CARE NOT KILLING
Dr Peter Saunders is the Director of the anti-euthanasia alliance Care not Killing.
Here he explains why he and the members of the alliance are opposed to the legalisation of euthanasia.
Dr Saunders talks about the aims of Care Not killing
Asked why they are opposed to the legalisation of euthanasia Dr Saunders explains their position
Dr Saunders talks about the provision of palliative care