Assisted dying: the influence of public opinion in an increasingly diverse society

The expression ‘physician assisted dying’ (PAD) is largely used throughout the text as a general, less explicit or emotive term than, for example, ‘(physician) assisted suicide’ or ‘euthanasia’. According to circumstances, one of the latter terms may sometimes be more appropriate or is used to reflect the cited reference.

Rokeach (1968–9, p. 550) defines an attitude as “an enduring organization of several beliefs focused on a specific object (physical or social, concrete or abstract) or situation, predisposing one to respond in some preferential manner”.

For relevant background see: Mill, John Stuart 1998, On liberty and other essays. Published as Oxford World’s Classics paperback. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Strong objections have also been made by some of those engaged in palliative care, but generally on the grounds of PAS being unnecessary when effective palliative care is available.

France bans “the wearing of signs or clothes (in state schools) through which pupils ostensibly express a religious allegiance “(see Laborde 2005, p. 306).

At their worst, presumed barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them’ are highly problematic. Zolberg (2004, p. 26): “Immigration leads inevitably to heated discussions about how boundaries between ‘us’ and ‘them’ might be drawn or erased. …the passions awakened in 1989 by the Rushdie affair in the United Kingdom and the ‘headscarf’ affair in France denote a simmering confrontation between ‘Christian’ Europe and ‘intruding’ Islam”. The Democratic Management of Cultural Differences: Building Inclusive Societies in Western Europe and North America. United Nations Development Programme. Occasional Paper: Background Paper for HDR 2004.

A more recent report on British Social Attitudes (2006) indicated that: “Four out of five people in Britain say that the law should ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ allow a doctor to end someone’s life at the person’s request if they have an incurable and painful illness from which they will die, such as cancer. … Religion makes a difference: people who regularly attend a religious service are far less likely to support euthanasia than people who never attend”. Press release, National Centre for Social Research 24 January 2007. British Social Attitudes 23rd Report December 2006, Sage Publications Ltd.

For an interesting discussion on the complexities of relevant Jewish law see Resnicoff 1996.

A general point, concerning the relationship between individual viewpoint and democracy is the nature of representation. Pitkin (2004), refers to representation and democracy as an “uneasy alliance”. And without wishing to delve too deeply into the realms of political philosophy, it is worth mentioning a couple of points. Firstly, what has been termed Arrow’s Paradox (see Arrow 1963), indicates that: decisions arrived at by adding up the preferences of everyone involved—can’t be satisfied unless we’re prepared to accept under certain conditions an ordering of those preferences which is either “imposed” or “dictatorial” (Runciman 1999). Secondly, and relatedly, no elected representative can fully represent the views of electors as promoting their individual interests. Unless subject to individual lobbying clearly, an impossibility for a Parliamentary constituency of 20,000 or more voters, those interests, their variety and intensity cannot be known to a representative. And it should not be forgotten that voter apathy may be a prevalent factor. As the historian Kevin Jefferys (2007, p. 6) points out, “the British Public have always been reluctant to give anything more than ‘two cheers for democracy’”. The situation can only be exacerbated in constituencies in which there is substantial socio-cultural diversity.

See The Crown Prosecution Service website: www.​cps.​gov.​uk/​consultations (Accessed 30 September 2009).