A new attempt to legalise assisted dying in the UK has become the sixth of its kind in the last 12 years. The new bill has strong parallels with Lord Falconer's failed version last year, but puts power in the hands of a court judge to decide if an individual is entitled to euthanasia.
The proposal is severely flawed, designed to lead to a 'rubber stamp' system whereby the judge will rely entirely on the decision of the doctor. With only a two-week window in which to make the decision, it is unclear how the judge - who will have little understanding of the home circumstances of the patient, or their interpretation of themselves as a burden - will be able to make an informed decision about the value of someone's life.
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