Many have heard the favourable news that the Justice Committee of the Oireachtas (Ireland’s Parliament or Congress) concluded that the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 is not “legislatively workable” due to “a number of drafting errors, there were a number of technical legal errors.” [James Lawless]
This Bill “was dismissed on technical, not ethical, grounds.” Maybe through technicalities, but a victory nonetheless. The demise of the Bill should be perceived as carrying the day in a major battle — not prevailing in the war.
James Lawless, Chair of the Justice Committee, said that Assisted Suicide & Voluntary Euthanasia is “…a very important issue…but this needs to be done properly…all the issues which the OPLA [Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers] have stated, they can be overcome.”
“They can be overcome…”
A loaded statement from any Barrister-Politician! Lawless was talking about the wording of the Bill primarily, though he seems to imply overcoming all opposition to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide too.
The coalition government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party have ‘drunk the Kool-Aid’ of misguided ‘compassion’ laced with ‘absolute personal autonomy.’ This has led them to support Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Sinn Féin is not much better. They pledged “…support for the new legislation which would let people who are terminally ill decide the timing of their own death” which clearly fits with their support of Westminster imposing abortion onto Northern Ireland.
Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill “support London's rule in the North.”
Other jurisdictions allowing Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide have not become more compassionate, though they do become more tolerant...tolerant to damaging our Human Rights. A few people will gain a brief sense of control through Assisted Suicide/Voluntary Euthanasia [AS/VE] but this comes at an enormous cost to society as a whole. Medicine in several countries has changed, forever.
Please consider reading other article on Euthanasia, Society and Medicine in Catholic Arena, including:
HARD CASES MAKE BAD LAW.
PUTTING THE EUTHANASIA GENIE BACK IN THE BOTTLE.
https://www.catholicarena.com/latest/euthanasiagenie
The ‘flawed legislation’
While speaking on Newstalk, campaigner Michael Nugent made the unsubstantiated claim that Assisted Dying is already taking place “even though the legislation is not there” and that Ireland needs "…legislation to regulate something that's already happening.” Ireland does have legislation regulating Assisted Dying and Euthanasia — the Justice, Law and Criminal Procedure Acts!
Lawless praised the Dying with Dignity Bill as an “important Bill” which was “opening up a conversation which needs to be had.” The Justice Committee received over 1,400 submissions, most of which were opposed to the Bill. These included: the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland; the Irish Palliative Medicine Consultants Association; the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; the Irish Society of Physicians in Geriatric Medicine; the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland; the Irish Healthcare Professionals for Dignity in Living and Dying, amongst others.
There was one submission from a group of 100 doctors called the “Irish Doctors supporting Medical Assistance in Dying” (IDsMAiD) who support “medically assisted dying.” As of the 27 July 2021, @IDsMAiD1 on Twitter had 172 followers and a total of 19 Tweets! (If, as Nugent suggests, Euthanasia is already occurring in Ireland, one would logically investigate these 100 doctors first!)
Thank God the Irish people and the medical profession were so vocal. In 2015-16 the Canadian Medical Association and Alberta Medical Association provided NO opposition to the introduction of Medical Assistance in Dying (AS/VE) into Canada. Such silence showed acquiescence, if not clear approval. Since 2016 the progression has been so rapid that Canada has already made it legal for doctors to kill people — Canadian citizens — suffering from mental illnesses alone, by 2023.
Medical Ethics
The Medical Council of Ireland is explicit in its guidance to the profession: Section 22.6 of the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners states: “You must not participate in the deliberate killing of a patient by active means.” If a Minister of Health ever pressures the MCI to change this Section, expect some new iteration of the “Dying with Dignity” Bill.
Conclusion
Ireland has faced many tough problems over the past 18 months, including the COVID pandemic, a prolonged lock-down, the effects of mass immigration and civil unrest. During this disaster, the Irish government perversely tried to sneak through this shabby legislation for Assisted Suicide and Voluntary Euthanasia.
As has happened in other countries (the UK right now) this sort of legislation will keep coming, and coming, till the liberal politicians get their way or the voter tells them otherwise through the ballot box. Next election, the same liberal ‘modern’ politicians will bribe the electorate with shiny cups to drink from the communal trough, so that they can get their way later…
Perhaps the plain cup is the better choice? Then maybe, Ireland will not have to choke down more of this flawed legislation.
DO NOT LET THEM WIN THE WAR.
Dr. Kevin Hay.
Kevin is a UCD grad and a rural Family Doctor in Alberta, Canada.
You can follow him on Twitter @kevinhay77 (though please be careful on Anti-Social Media!)
Shocking.