A legal challenge has been submitted regarding a Royal College of Physicians (RCP) poll on assisted suicide. The poll asked members where they stand on this issue, but the RCP said it would adopt a neutral stance unless there was a 60% majority either way. Until now it has been officially opposed to assisted dying. Four doctors have launched a crowdfunding page to fund a legal challenge to the poll, saying that a small minority who support assisted dying want to change the RCP's default position in an unfair way. Even if 59% of members vote to maintain opposition to a change in the law, the College will change to a neutral position anyway. The doctors argue that using a supra-majority to change a policy is, as far as they are aware, entirely without precedent. It is believed that Dignity in Dying, the campaign group for assisted dying, influenced the move.
Assisted dying
Written by David Fletcher 15 Mar 2019Additional Info
- Pray: for laws against assisting the suicide of another person to remain unchanged. (Ecclesiastes 7:17)
- More: www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Legal-challenge-made-to-a-poll-on-assisted-dying
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