Assisted Dying: A Discussion

Having historically passed second reading by 55 votes in the House of Commons, Kim Leadbeater MP’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Choices) Bill is currently undergoing intensive scrutiny in committee. It is timely that Liverpool Humanists meet to discuss the issues involved.

The one certainty in life we have is that one day we will die. People from different backgrounds deal with this reality in different ways. Humanists tend to focus on life, not death, and on making our finite lives the best possible, for ourselves and for other people.

Kristiaan D'Août moved to Liverpool from Belgium in 2014 to take up a position as Lecturer in Biomechanics at the University of Liverpool. He immediately looked up the Local Humanist Group, and has been a staunch supporter of Liverpool Humanists ever since. He has now also run the Liverpool Death Café for a number of years.

In 2015, Kristiaan briefly returned to Belgium to be with his father at the time of his death.

In the first part of this event, Kris will tell his very moving personal story, as well as outlining the situation in Belgium and other countries where assisted dying is already legal.

In the second half of the event, Richard Jacques, Coordinator of Liverpool Humanists, will chair a “Question Time”-type discussion panel.

We will hear expert testimony, and share individual experiences and perspectives. We will seek to inform our own thinking about the end of life. We will consider the need for palliative care, social care, assisted dying, and suicide prevention.

Humanists UK is campaigning for a change in the law and wholeheartedly supports Kim Leadbeater MP’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which will ‘allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards and protections, to request and be provided with assistance to end their own life’.

However, we will also consider the objections of those opposed to the bill, which mainly centre on the need to prevent coercion.

This is a free public event, but we will ask for a donation of £5-10 to cover room and equipment hire.

Please note, the event has a 19:00 gathering time before a 19:30 start to proceedings.