The case
We would not let an animal die in avoidable pain. We should not let a person.
When a beloved animal is beyond help, we call it kindness to end its suffering. We would not dream of letting it endure pain we could relieve. We hold that as a mark of our humanity toward creatures who cannot speak for themselves.
And yet, when a person is dying, a person who can speak, who has lived, who is asking, we too often look away. We let the law insist on suffering that medicine could prevent. We call this the limit of compassion. It is not. It is our limit, and it is past time we moved it.
What we are asking for
A limited right, under strict safeguards, for the terminally ill.
We seek a change in the law to allow competent adults with a terminal prognosis to request medical assistance to end their lives, on their own clear and repeated request, and only under safeguard. Nothing more, and nothing forced on anyone.
We do not ask for a right for everyone, for any reason, at any time. We ask for a right for the few who are already dying, who are of sound mind, and who are asking to be spared a death they consider worse than the one their illness will bring.
The safeguards we require
- Two independent doctors must confirm the terminal prognosis and the patient's sound mind.
- The request must be made freely, in writing, and repeated after a clear waiting period.
- The patient may withdraw at any moment, with no consequence and no pressure.
- Every case must be reported and recorded, open to review.
- No one is ever obliged to take part, patient or clinician. Conscience is protected.
The evidence
This is not a leap in the dark. The Netherlands has practised it since 2002, Belgium since 2002, Switzerland far longer. Spain and Portugal have followed. So have Canada and New Zealand. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act has now run for nearly thirty years.
The published record from these places is consistent: no slippery slope, no rush of the vulnerable to an early death, and no loss of trust in doctors. What it shows is people, in small numbers, given back a measure of control over the end of their lives. The fear has not come to pass. The kindness has.
Who we are
Pass with Dignity is a UK Community Interest Company, entirely non-profit. Its surplus and assets are locked to its social purpose. We are families, people living with terminal illness, and the supporters who stand with them, not a government and not a lobby for noise.
Every letter we carry is delivered by hand and recorded on this site, with the place, the date, and the proof. No email is ever shared.
This page makes the case for a change in the law. It is not medical advice, and it is not legal advice.