Uruguay’s Senate has approved the ‘Dignified Death’ law, making the country the 34th jurisdiction in the world to allow assisted dying. Humanists UK is hailing this historic moment, and is calling on the House of Lords to constructively work on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill, so dying Brits can face the same choices as Uruguayans.
The law was finally passed on Wednesday 15 October, when 20 out of 31 senators voted in favour. Uruguay’s lower house approved the bill in August with a large majority. Uruguay’s government must now implement the regulations. Similar to here, an overwhelming majority of the public back the change in the law, with polling indicating support as high as 82%.
Similar to the UK, considerable opposition to assisted dying in Uruguay came from religious institutions. Before the vote in the Senate, Daniel Sturla, the Archbishop of Montevideo, called on Uruguayans ‘to defend the gift of life and to remember that every person deserves to be cared for, accompanied and supported until the end.’ Similarly, in the UK, the bishops sitting in the House of Lords are vocal opponents to the Bill. The Bishop of Newcastle spoke at the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill on 12 September, saying ‘Within the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the idea of being human begins with God… Our obsession with selfhood and individual choice belies our dignity and respect for others.’ The Bishop of Newcastle now sits on the select committee examining the Bill.
What does Uruguay’s new law look like?
The patient must be:
- An adult
- Mentally competent
- Unbearably suffering from an incurable illness
The patient must get two doctors to determine that they meet the eligibility criteria and that they are psychologically fit enough to make the decision. The legislation only permits the life-ending drugs to be administered by a healthcare professional and forbids self-administration.
How does that compare to proposals in Westminster?
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted dying in the UK, and is currently passing through the House of Lords, is quite different to Uruguay’s proposal. The patient must be:
- An adult
- Mentally competent
- Terminally ill, with a life expectancy of six months or fewer
In order to access an assisted death, the patient must have a preliminary conversation with a doctor, sign an independently witnessed declaration, have one assessment, wait seven days, have a second assessment from an independent doctor, wait fourteen days and finally have their case reviewed by an expert panel consisting of a psychiatrist, lawyer and social worker.
Uruguay’s law does not have a waiting period or a panel sign-off.
In contrast to Uruguay’s law, the proposed legislation here only permits the self-administration of life-ending drugs. A healthcare professional is forbidden to administer the medication.
What’s the international picture on assisted dying?
Uruguay joins the Latin American countries of Colombia, Ecuador, and Cuba in allowing some form of assisted dying. Uruguay stands out in creating a detailed legal framework through an act of parliament, while the other Latin American countries allow for assisted dying through court decisions.
| Terminal eligibility | Jurisdictions |
|---|---|
| Expected to cause their death within 6 months | In force: New Zealand, 11 US states Passed but not yet in force: Delaware (USA) Proposed: England and Wales |
| Expected to cause their death within 6 months; OR in the case of a person with a neurodegenerative disease, illness or condition, within 12 months | In force: Five Australian states Proposed: Jersey |
| Expected to cause their death within 12 months | In force: Queensland Passed but not yet in force: Isle of Man |
| Have an advanced and progressive disease, illness or condition from which they are unable to recover and that can reasonably be expected to cause their premature death. (No time limit) | In force: Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Canada, Colombia Mandated by the courts but not legislation: Germany, Italy, Ecuador, Cuba Passed but not yet in force: Australian Capital Territory, Uruguay Proposed: Scotland |
Richy Thompson, Director of Public Affairs and Policy at Humanists UK, said:
‘I hope England and Wales follow in the footsteps of Uruguay and make us the 35th jurisdiction in the world to allow legal, safe, and compassionate assisted dying. We currently have no system and therefore no safeguards, and the terminally ill are suffering, taking matters into their own hands or fleeing to Switzerland. With clear safeguards and practical implementation, we can give dying people real choice and control when they need it most.’
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Assisted Dying Campaigner Nathan Stilwell at nathan@humanists.uk
If you have been affected by the current assisted dying legislation, and want to use your story to support a change in the law, please email campaigns@humanists.uk.
Humanists defend the right of each individual to live by their own personal values, and the freedom to make decisions about their own life so long as this does not result in harm to others. Humanists do not share the attitudes to death and dying held by some religious believers, in particular that the manner and time of death are for a deity to decide, and that interference in the course of nature is unacceptable. We firmly uphold the right to life but we recognise that this right carries with it the right of each individual to make their own judgement about whether their life should be prolonged in the face of pointless suffering.
We recognise that any assisted dying law must contain strong safeguards and the international evidence from countries where assisted dying is legal shows that safeguards can be effective. We also believe that the choice of assisted dying should not be considered an alternative to palliative care, but should be offered together as in many other countries.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.