Euthanasia in the United Kingdom

Who is Euthanasia in the United Kingdom?

Euthanasia is illegal in all countries of the United Kingdom. However, as a devolved matter to the Scottish parliament, it is possible that at some point in the future different laws on euthanasia could apply within the UK.

In 1935, Lord Moynihan and Dr. Killick Millard founded the British Voluntary Euthanasia Society which produced A Guide To Self Deliverance giving guidelines on how a person should commit suicide. Publication was delayed amid controversy because of the Suicide Act of 1961 which states that the legal system can allow up to 14 years in prison for anyone that assists in a suicide. Therefore, it was unclear whether the Society could be held accountable for assisting in suicide because of its publication. In 1980, the Scottish branch broke off from its original society in order to publish How to Die with Dignity which became the first publication of its kind in the world.

“’The question for politicians in Britain today is why do you force your citizens, people in the most terrible circumstances who are determined to end their suffering in a way of their own choosing, to leave their country and travel to Switzerland to exercise their free will.’”