healthmedicinet

12 July 2014
Last updated at 16:32

Lord Carey was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 until 2002

The Church of England (CofE) has called for a new inquiry into assisted dying.

It follows a U-turn by former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, who said he would back legislation to allow the terminally ill in England and Wales get help to end their lives.

The current Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby says the Assisted Dying Bill is “mistaken and dangerous”.

But the Church said a new inquiry would include expert opinion and carefully assess the arguments.

Speaking on behalf of the CofE, the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Rev James Newcome, said a Royal Commission would allow the “important issue” to be discussed at length.

He said the bill should be withdrawn to allow the inquiry to take place – a call which was immediately rejected by Lord Falconer, the Labour peer who tabled it.

Some 110 peers are already listed to speak when the House of Lords debates the private members bill on Friday.

Lord Carey said the case of Tony Nicklinson had had the “deepest influence” on his decision

Bishop Newcome also said the Church was “surprised” by Lord Carey’s change in position, which had brought the issue to the public’s attention.

Lord Carey wrote in the Daily Mail that he had dropped his opposition to the Assisted Dying Bill “in the face of the reality of needless suffering”.

“The fact is that I have changed my mind. The old philosophical certainties have collapsed in the face of the reality of needless suffering.”

He said it was the case of Tony Nicklinson, who had locked-in syndrome and died after being refused the legal right to die , who had had the “deepest influence” on his decision.

Lord Falconer’s legislation would make it legal for adults in England and Wales to be given assistance ending their own life. It would apply to those with less than six months to live.

Two doctors would have to independently confirm the patient was terminally ill and had reached their own, informed decision to die.

‘Heightened the stakes’

Bishop Newcome said: “We were surprised by both the content and the timing of [Lord Carey’s] article, but recognise that actually, quite a lot of good things have come out of it, including that it has brought some of the issues to the forefront of public discussion and highlighted just what an important issue this is.

“Certainly our hope as the Church of England is that the Falconer Bill will be withdrawn and that because this is such an important issue it could be discussed at length by a Royal Commission.”

He said a Supreme Court ruling last month over a case brought by the widow of locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson had “heightened the stakes” over the issue.

However, he added that the Church was in favour of leaving the law on assisted suicide unchanged, because it provided a “good balance” between compassion and protection of the vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Lord Falconer said he did not believe a Royal Commission would be “sensible or appropriate” because it would take “a very long time” and that the issue needed to be discussed urgently.