Should assisted suicide be allowed in Britain?

THERE are two tragedies in the Dignitas case (Mail): first, Jeffrey Spector had a terrifying illness and, second, that his decision to end his life had to involve an expensive and harrowing trip abroad. How much longer will the cowardly prevarications of our politicians and law-makers continue? All that is needed for someone to make a decision about their own life is the medical means to end it, at a time and place of their choosing. The irony is that many people, knowing they had that choice, might live longer and die naturally, but those who feel their life is unendurable would not be forced to suffer because of what others think is right. No one is talking about ending the lives of the disabled or anyone not diagnosed with a terminal illness killing themselves — those are separate issues and shouldn’t cloud the debate. Mr Spector and all those who have campaigned to be allowed to die should be honoured for their courage and thanked for keeping the matter in the public eye for politicians to act on. Miss SIErrA Hutt ON-W Il SON,

Evercreech, Somerset. aNYONE who believes there should be an assisted suicide act should take a good look at the right to legalised abortion and how, over the years, it has degenerated into abortion on demand, with foetuses being aborted for reasons as trivial as not being the right gender or having a cleft palate. Often abortion is also used as a form of contraception. It’s clear an assisted suicide act would lead to society coercing individuals — the elderly, the disabled or those with life-limiting conditions — to end their lives. Others might choose to kill themselves, believing they were a ‘burden’, financially or because of their poor health. That is the new ethos in which we live. I can’t be the only one who finds it disturbing how life is becoming increasingly disposable. Rather than give us an assisted suicide act, let’s see the right by law to first-rate palliative care. Those who want to go to Dignitas can do so, but their decision is not right for everyone.