My Death, My Decision

My Death, My Decision has long supported the rights of those who want assistance to end their own life, and lobbied Parliament for a change in the law which would enable both those who are terminally ill or incurably suffering the option of a safeguarded assisted dying. The organisation believes that there is a strong moral case to extend assisted dying to adults facing years of permanent and unbearable suffering, and cites changes in the law in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland as evidence in support of its position.[13]

In March 2019, the organisation commissioned a poll from the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) which found that up to 88% of the public favoured assisted dying for either those who were incurably suffering or terminally ill, in at least some circumstances.[14][15] The research indicated a significant shift in public attitudes in favour of assisted dying for the incurably suffering, and prompted an Member of Parliament, who had previously voted against assisted dying reform, to suggest MPs were at risk of becoming out of touch.[16]

In 2019, the group also helped to form the Assisted Dying Coalition, a group of like-minded campaign groups seeking to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill or incurably suffering.[17]

Persistent campaigns include calling for the Government to set up an inquiry into the impact of the Suicide Act 1961 and to investigate jurisdictions which have legalised assisted dying abroad;[18] challenging the use of the “forfeiture rule” (a civil law which can prevent those who compassionately assist someone to die abroad from receiving any inheritance, despite not having criminal charges brought against them);[19] as well advocating the use “Statements of Settled Wishes”, a new safeguard for assisted dying which would allow someone to pre-register their intention to have an assisted death.[20]

Trevor Moore holding an open letter to mark the tenth anniversary of Debbie Purdy's landmark legal case in 2019

In July 2019, they organised an open letter to mark the tenth anniversary of Debbie Purdy's landmark legal case, which was signed by thirty-four leading doctors, politicians, religious leaders, academics, and campaigners, to urge the Secretary of State for Justice to consider reviewing the law on assisted dying. Although the Secretary of State for Justice had approved a call for evidence into assisted dying, the inquiry was subsequently reversed following David Gauke's resignation.

The non-profit organisation has consistently supported right-to-die test cases to challenge the ban on assisted dying throughout its history. In 2018, it was the first assisted dying organisation to support Omid T, a man suffering from multiple systems atrophy, to bring a legal appeal which sought for the courts to examine an extensive international body of evidence in support of assisted dying.[21] In 2019, after Omid T had ended his life abroad days before judgment in his case was due, they were also among the first organisations to champion Phil Newby's successor case and helped it to raise more than £48,000 to challenge the legality of the ban on assisted dying.[22] In 2019, the organisation also supported their longstanding patron Paul Lamb, who was paralysed from the neck down, to bring a fresh right-to-die case;[23] after the Supreme Court had ruled in a 2014 case he had brought, that it would rule again a potential declaration of incompatibility between restrictions on the right to die and the Human Rights Act should Parliament fail to legislate decisively.[24]

In 2019, in a letter to the British Medical Journal entitled ‘Why we’re campaigning for broader criteria for assisted dying in the UK”, the best-selling author Dr Henry Marsh, women's right advocate Professor Wendy Savage, and acclaimed medical researcher Sir Iain Chalmers challenged campaigns for assisted dying which were restricted to only those with six or fewer months left to live, and called upon Parliament to respect the choices of those facing incurable and intolerable suffering such as Paul Lamb or Tony Nicklinson.[25] Shortly afterwards, the signatories helped to form My Death, My Decision's advisory medical group who provide advice on clinical issues, develop and publicise resources, and aim to provide a voice for medics who support patient choice.[26]

Many of the group's aims are based on respecting patient autonomy and ending restrictions which prevent doctors and patients from openly discussing all end-of-life options. In 2019, the group secured a commitment from the General Medical Council that doctors who are informed by their patient of an intention to travel abroad for an assisted death, should not feel compelled to breach confidence and inform the police.[27]

In 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic in Britain, the group published guidance in the British Medical Journal which urged doctors to respect their patient's end-of-life wishes.[28]

A MDMD lecture on assisted dying

Since 2010, the organisation has hosted an annual lecture from international experts, campaigners, authors, academics, and philosophers on assisted dying reform. Previous speakers have included Baroness Mary Warnock, Silvan Luley (the Director of Dignitas), Virginia Ironside, Professor Jan Bernheim, Dr Rob Jonquiere, Professor Ceila Kitzinger, Dr Els van Wijngaarden, Professor A.C. Grayling, and Times Journalist Melanie Reid.[29]

In 2019, the organisation announced that it would host a new annual lecture ‘The Doran Lecture’, in memory of Frank Doran a former Member of Parliament and committed assisted dying advocate. In 2020, the first talk was delivered by Dr Stefanie Green, Canada's preeminent expert on assisted dying and President of CAMAP (the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers).

The campaign group is supported by a diverse range of doctors, politicians, religious leaders, philosophers, and academics including: Sir Iain Chalmers, Professor A.C. Grayling, Dr Phil Hammond, Virginia Ironside, Dr Henry Marsh, Miriam Margolyes, Professor David Nutt, Lord Martin Rees, Baroness Kathleen Richardson, Professor Wendy Savage, and journalist Polly Toynbee.[30]

Chair Trevor Moore opening lecture on Faith and Assisted Dying