British Humanist Society

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the publication of a new report from parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) on the Government’s Equality Bill. The report, published today and produced following changes to the Bill in the House of Lords, makes a number of important recommendations.

In January, the House of Lords – including the Bishops who sit in the Lords as of right – voted to water-down protection for gay people in employment. However, the Committee’s report states that the Bill as it now stands does not comply with the European Equality Directive.

The report also investigates exceptions in law to permit discrimination by state-funded faith schools. The legal argument made by David Wolfe QC, representing the BHA in its intervention in the landmark JFS case, is reflected in the Committee’s report. The report criticises the Government’s justification for laws concerning discriminatory admissions criteria in faith schools, suggesting they may be misinterpreting human rights law. It further claims that employment regulations in faith schools may also be in breach of the EU Directive.

Naomi Phillips, Head of Public Affairs at the BHA, stated, ‘By refusing even try to reverse the Lords amendments that give special exemptions from the Equality Bill to permit organised religions to treat lesbian and gay people unkindly, unfairly, and discriminate against them, the Government is acting disgracefully. What the Select Committee report suggests is that the Government is a passing legislation that may actually be unlawful because it is breach of the European Directive.’

‘We also welcome the report’s suggestion that the Government’s approach to faith schools may be in breach of equality law and human rights principles. Time and again, the government has bowed to religious pressure to allow religious schools and organisations to discriminate in ways which would be unlawful for other organisations. It seems that they have now also opened themselves up to legal challenge at European level.’

The BHA is today calling for all its members and supporters to write a letter to the 26 Bishops in the House of Lords as part of a joint campaign action. The letter calls for the Church of England Bishops, who sit in the House of Lords as of right, to sign up to certain principles which would engage them in the debate regarding reform of the House of Lords. The action is being run by Power2010 and several other organisations, including the BHA.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive said, ‘We are very happy to be supporting this campaign action centring on an issue of central concern to humanists and on which we have worked for many years. The UK is the only democratic country to give seats in its legislature to religious representatives as of right. It is undemocratic and represents a level of privilege for one denomination of one religion which is inappropriate in our plural society. If Bishops wish to sit in our parliament, they should be given that opportunity in the same way as everyone else, rather than being given an unfair advantage.’

‘As well as supporting this specific action, the BHA is also pleased to support the wider principle behind Power 2010: that everyone should have the chance to participate in setting the agenda for how our politics seeks the common good. That includes both religious and non-religious people and we need to engage in public life on an even playing field, with no special rights for churches and religions.’

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has urged MPs to speak in favour of a reform to the law on assisted dying, when they debate the issue in the House of Commons later today.

Coming so soon after the publication of the new prosecution guidelines on assisted dying in the UK, as well as recent calls for an independent inquiry into the law in the House of Lords, it is particularly timely that elected representatives have a chance now to make the case for a reform in the law in the UK.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, said, ‘The final prosecution guidelines have distinguished between where a person has compassionately assisted another to die, and where that was done with malicious intent. That is a clarification that was badly needed and is to be welcomed. However, the guidelines will always be retrospective, after an assisted death has taken place, and the law itself remains unchanged.’

‘Legalising assisted dying is the only sure way to give terminally ill or incurably suffering people full autonomy and choice at end of life, and at the same time to ensure strict legal safeguards are in place to protect those that are vulnerable from coercion or other malice. This is a proposal that has overwhelming public support and its implementation would be a compassionate recognition of human autonomy and dignity'

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has commented on the Supreme Court’s refusal to give Lillian Ladele permission to appeal last year’s Court of Appeal ruling that she had not been subject to religious discrimination. Ms Ladele, who had worked as a Registrar for Islington Council, refused to perform Civil Partnership ceremonies, saying that they went against her strong Christian beliefs. In refusing Ms Ladele’s application to appeal the ruling, the Supreme Court said that her case did not raise legal points of “general public importance”.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, commented, ‘The Supreme Court’s decision not to grant permission to appeal is extremely welcome. A clear message has been sent out that those people providing public services or performing public functions, such as Civil Partnership ceremonies, have a duty to treat services users equally, with dignity and respect, as the public authority itself must.’

‘In a modern liberal democracy, there can be no “opt out” for those who say they are unable to do their jobs because they wish to discriminate, even when that desire to discriminate derives from a religious belief.’

Notes

For further comment or information, please contact Andrew Copson on 07534 248596 or 020 7079 3583.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has published its manifestos for the upcoming local and general elections. The manifestos set out the BHA’s vision on a number of core areas of work, from human rights to faith schools to free speech. The manifestos also have questions for candidates on topics of interest to humanists, such as: What do they think the government’s policy should be on faith schools? What do they think about exemptions for religious organisations from aspects of equality legislation? Would they vote to retain or remove bishops from the House of Lords? Are they in favour of councils contracting with faith groups to deliver public services?

Pepper Harow, BHA Campaigns Officer, said, ‘We all know how vocal the religious lobby is – and that politicians often feel pressured to support and accommodate those views on matters such as faith schools or public ethical issues, even if that religious perspective is largely unshared by the rest of the constituency. We also know that non-religious voices and concerns are often not heard, but that if they were we could see real changes to policies that affect us all. Support for democracy and political participation at local and national levels is core to humanist thinking and we have a lot of issues where we need to make our voices heard.’

Notes

Read more about our work on this, and download our manifestos from our website.

Contact Pepper Harow on 020 7462 4992.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has briefed Peers ahead of the “second reading” debate of the Children, Schools and Families Bill in the House of Lords. The Bill seeks to make a variety of changes to education, including making Personal, Social, Health, Economic (PSHE) education, which includes Sex and Relationships Education, part of the National Curriculum.

The BHA has sent briefings on three key issues of concern: SRE, Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship. In the Commons, MPs were not given time to debate a last-minute Government amendment to the Bill to permit state-funded faith schools to teach SRE in ways heavily skewed towards the religious character of the school. RE and Collective Worship were topics not covered by this new National Curriculum legislation at all.

Naomi Phillips, BHA Head of Public Affairs, said ‘Today’s debate provides opportunity for Peers to comment on the Government’s amendment on SRE, which we believe will create a two-tier system in the provision of the subject between faith schools and community schools.’

‘Peers also have an opportunity to discuss some of the Bill’s conspicuous omissions. The Bill quite sensibly seeks to make PSHE part of the National Curriculum, but it has ignored RE. National Curriculum RE would help to raise standards and address the problem that RE teachers and pupils experience when they move between schools.’

‘There is widespread support for compulsory religious worship to be replaced by inclusive assemblies that focus on shared values. It is disappointing that this issue has not been tackled in this Bill.’

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has responded to a statement by the Catholic Education Service (CES) that Catholic schools will uphold the teachings of the Church “in particular to all work about sex and relationships education” and “do not and would not promote abortion”. The CES claimed the credit for a Government amendment to the Children, Schools and Families Bill that permits state-funded “faith schools” to teach PSHE, which includes Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), “in a way that reflects the school’s religious character”.

Naomi Phillips, BHA Head of Public Affairs, said, ‘It is shameful that the Government has continued to deny, in statements in Parliament and to the press, that its last-minute amendment to its education bill permits state-funded faith schools to teach SRE in ways that are not balanced and accurate, when it is clear that is exactly what the change to proposed legislation will do. The statement from the CES makes clear that pupils in Catholic schools are unlikely to receive objective teaching on crucial issues such as contraception and abortion’

‘Despite its protestations, the effect of this new Government policy will be that students in community schools will receive comprehensive SRE, which will include objective teaching on issues such as contraception, abortion and safer sexual relationships, but those in Catholic and other religious schools do not have that entitlement.’

The BHA, as part of a wider coalition called Rights of the Child UK (ROCK), is supporting calls to embed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) into UK law.

The Children’s Rights Bill - Baroness Walmsley's "Private Member's Bill", will be debated in the House of Lords tomorrow. The Bill would incorporate the CRC in UK law in the same way that the Human Rights Act entrenches the European Convention on Human Rights. The BHA has sent a briefing to members of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group asking them to support the Bill.

BHA Head of Public Affairs Naomi Phillips said, ‘The BHA is supporting this Bill because it will help to ensure that all young people have access to information about their rights. Cementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in UK law will help to empower young people to stand up for the rights to which they are entitled.

‘Importantly, this will include the rights to freedom of belief and expression which will mean greater clarity regarding issues such as collective worship in education and the rights of young people to hold different beliefs to their parents.’

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has expressed its sorrow at the death of its member and Distinguished Supporter, Rt Hon Michael Foot, who has died at the age of 96.

Foot was a long-time supporter of the BHA – particularly of its education and campaigning work – and gave the Association’s prestigious Voltaire Lecture in 1988, named after a philosopher that he admired especially, saying that, if virtue consists of doing good and if loving mankind with a passion constitutes being a saint, Voltaire was one.

Like Clement Attlee before him and Neil Kinnock after him, Michael was a Labour leader whose view of life was a humanist one.

Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association said, ‘We remember Michael and celebrate his life not just as the life of an intelligent and principled politician but as a great British Humanist. A good life for all is a humanist aspiration, and Michael was one humanist who worked hard to make that a reality for every man and woman. His steadfast dedication to humanist and progressive ideals of freedom, peace, social justice was pursued in a life of both thought and action – another humanist ideal.’

NOTES

For further comment or information, please contact Andrew Copson, 020 7079 3583.

The British Humanist Association was founded in 1896 and is the national charity promoting Humanism, campaigning for a secular state and an open society and representing and supporting non-religious people.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has commented on a speech by Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, in which he argued that there was a “strident and bullying” campaign against Christians in the UK.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, commented, ‘The myth of “Christianophobia” in England and western Europe is spreading, with stories of unjust discrimination often partial and exaggerated. Such claims are regularly unchallenged and sometimes propagated by politicians and in the media, yet our courts are increasingly finding little substance to claims of discrimination or marginalisation of Christians.’

‘Far from being bullied, the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church continue to exert undue and disproportionate influence over the democratic and state institutions and laws of our country. Where institutional Christian influence on public life in the UK is declining, we should see that as a victory for the continuing fight for equality, individual rights, progressive politics and a reflection of an increasingly non-religious society.’

Notes

Read report of the speech: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7347335/Lord-Carey-Strident-and-bullying-campaign-to-marginalise-Christians-in-UK.html

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has reaffirmed its commitment to work for a change in the law to legalise assisted dying in the UK, in light of today’s publication of the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) final prosecution guidelines on assisted dying.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, commented, ‘The DPP Guidelines attempt to do in part what Parliament has thus far failed to, and that is to distinguish between where a person has compassionately assisted another to die, and where that was done with malicious intent or murder. But these Guidelines will always be retrospective, after an assisted death has taken place. Terminally ill or incurably suffering people do not have full autonomy and choice at end of life, and those that are vulnerable are still at risk because legal safeguards, which would accompany the legalisation of assisted dying, are not in place to protect them from coercion or other malice.’

Mr Copson continued, ‘Now is the time for Parliamentarians to reform the law to one that upholds people’s fundamental human right to die with dignity, in a manner of their choosing. Under a reformed law, the choice of an assisted death would not be instead of palliative care for terminally ill people, but a core part of a comprehensive, patient-centred approach to end of life care, available for as many people who want it.’

Notes

For further comment or information, please contact Andrew Copson, andrew@humanism.org.uk, 07534 248596.

The law on assisted dying in the UK does not distinguish between those who compassionately assist another to die, including where they have accompanied them abroad for a legal assisted death, and those who kill with malicious intent.

The DPP final guidelines have been published following a public consultation on the interim guidelines in September 2009, and clarify the issues that will be taken into account when deciding whether or not to consent to the prosecution of individuals who assist someone to die, including when people have accompanied loved ones abroad for an assisted death.

The judgment in the prominent case of Debbie Purdy, a multiple sclerosis sufferer, who won her case in the UK’s highest court. The judgment required that the DPP publish clear guidance, showing when it would or would not prosecute someone for assisting someone to die. This is not a change in the law; assisted dying remains illegal.

Read more about the BHA’s work on reforming the law on assisted dying http://www.humanism.org.uk/campaigns/ethical-issues/assisted-dying

The British Humanist Association is the national charity representing and supporting the interests of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK.

The BHA is pleased to support the publication of a pamphlet published by The Guardian newspaper entitled ‘Citizen Ethics in a time of crisis.’ The pamphlet, which is available to download online, includes articles by BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson, BHA President Polly Toynbee as well as BHA Distinguished Supporters Richard Reeves and Philip Pullman.
There are also interviews with BHA Distinguished Supporters Martin Rowson and BHA Vice President Claire Rayner OBE.

The publication explores key questions about ethics today including values, economics and politics from a range of different perspectives and was organised by the Citizen Ethics Network which is an organisation which aims to promote debate and to renew the ethical underpinnings of economic, political and daily life.

Andrew’s article in the publication argues that, ‘Not believing in any post-mortem existence where all wrongs will be righted, humanists think of politics as incredibly important. It is more than just a necessity arising from the fact that we’re social animals: it is an opportunity to promote the opportunity of a good life for all...

...the secular state embodies an expectation that individual freedom leads inevitably to diversity. It recognises that the diverse ways of living that flourish in consequence are a product of the open society’s values.

The standards by which we judge our politicians- at least in part- must be to what extent they bring us closer to that ideal way of living.’

The BHA has today commented on a report by the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee which has called on the government to stop funding homeopathic services on the NHS. The report, which summarised the findings of the committee’s inquiry into government policy on homeopathy, states that there is no evidence that homeopathy is effective. It also recommends that no further public funding be used to test the efficacy of homeopathic treatment, as it has been clearly established that it does not work.

BHA Head of Public Affairs Naomi Phillips commented, ‘It is clear from this report that NHS funding is being spent on treatments that have no evidential basis in their claims of effectiveness. There has been enough testing of homeopathy to provide plenty of evidence showing that it is not efficacious. Public policy should be rational and evidence-based and the government should be ensuring that public funds are spent on treatments that have been proven to work, and on research that is backed up by scientific evidence. To do otherwise is irrational, unethical and a waste of public money.’

The British Humanist Association (BHA), the Accord Coalition, and the Children’s Rights Alliance for England have condemned the Government’s move to permit state-funded “faith schools” to teach Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in ways skewed towards the religion of the school, and to permit parents to withdraw their children from SRE altogether. The BHA has made its comments in light of today’s report from parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights’ (JCHR) on its scrutiny of the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

The JCHR supports the Bill in making SRE a mandatory subject in all schools, describing the introduction of SRE for all pupils as a 'human rights enhancing measure'. In particular, the committee welcomes the fact that state-funded faith schools will have to follow the same principle of promoting equality as all other state-funded schools. However, the Government has now tabled an amendment to its own Bill, which effectively reverses that position.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, commented, ‘The Government has u-turned on their commitment to young people, trading children's rights for the support of a minority religious lobby. We are deeply concerned that the Government’s amendment effectively gives licence to faith schools to teach SRE in ways that are homophobic, gender discriminatory and otherwise violate principles of human rights. The needs of individual children, which will dictate the sort of SRE provided in other schools, will take second place to the religious preferences of faith schools, which may well not be shared by the pupils and parents in those schools.’

Speaking on behalf of the Accord coalition, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said, ‘It is astonishing that the government plans to deny young people of their right to accurate, balanced PSHE and Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), and allow state funded schools to teach the subject from one religious viewpoint. By taking this position, Ed Balls is implicitly condoning homophobia in schools and undermining attempts to tackle homophobic bullying. After Labour has done so much for equality, this looks like a 21st century Section 28.’

Carolyne Willow, National coordinator of the Children's Rights Alliance for England said, ‘This amendment was completely unnecessary as there is already provision in the Bill for PSHE to take into account different perspectives, including religious beliefs. It is absolutely vital that sex and relationships education funded by the state occurs within the context of commitment to equality and respect for diversity; anything less is discriminatory.’

Mr Copson added, ‘This latest move by Ed Balls will only exacerbate the concerns of those who are welcoming – at last – the introduction of SRE for all that exemptions for schools and parents will water down the new law so that it fails to protect the most vulnerable. Many have already condemned the Government’s failure to abolish the parent’s right to deny their children SRE lessons altogether. We welcome the committee’s support for the removal of the right of withdrawal from parents of children over the age of 15 and the call by the committee that children of sufficient competence – whatever their age – should decide for themselves whether to attend SRE not by reference to age but capacity for decision making.’
Notes

For further comment or information, please contact Andrew Copson on 07534 248596, or andrew@humanism.org.uk.

Young people themselves want SRE. The UK Youth Parliament, together with over 100 NGOs including the BHA and the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, have called for an end the parental right of withdrawal of children from SRE.

The Bill, about to reach its final stages in the Commons on Tuesday 23rd February, makes a number of changes to education, including making PSHE and Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) mandatory.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief. The BHA contributes to debate on a wide range of ethical issues from stem cell research to sex education. The BHA is a member of the National Children’s Bureau Sex Education Forum (SEF) and the Children’s Rights Alliance for England.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) and the Children's Rights Alliance for England have condemned a new Government amendment to its own Children, Schools and Families Bill, describing it as discriminatory.

The amendment to the Bill, tabled by the Secretary of State Ed Balls, would permit state-funded “faith schools” to teach PSHE, which includes Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), “in a way that reflects the school’s religious character”.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, said, ‘The Government’s amendment to the Children, Schools and Families Bill effectively provides an opt-out for faith schools from teaching full, comprehensive and objective Sex and Relationships Education. This is a U-Turn from the original commitment in the Bill which put a duty on schools to teach SRE in ways that promote equality, diversity and rights, in ways that are sensitive to the children’s backgrounds, rather than the schools’.

‘Allowing schools to teach SRE in ways skewed towards their religious character could in practice lead to subjective and narrow teaching, depriving up to a third of pupils from the objective SRE which their friends in community schools will receive as of right. We are particularly concerned how faith schools will teach about crucial issues such as contraception, safe sex, and different sexualities.’

‘By attempting to alter its own Bill in this way, the Government is going against what parents, young people and experts want, trading children’s rights for the support of a minority religious lobby. This, together with allowing parents to take their children out of SRE lessons altogether, will undoubtedly have a grossly negative impact on those vulnerable young people who need comprehensive SRE from a young age most.’

Carolyne Willow, National coordinator of the Children's Rights Alliance for England said, ‘This amendment was completely unnecessary as there is already provision in the Bill for PSHE to take into account different perspectives, including religious beliefs. It is absolutely vital that sex and relationships education funded by the State occurs within the context of commitment to equality and respect for diversity; anything less is discriminatory.’

Notes

For further comment or information, please contact Andrew Copson on 07534 248596, or andrew@humanism.org.uk

Good SRE is known to reduce unwanted pregnancies, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and equip young people with the language and tools to be clear about personal boundaries, understand appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, to be able to resist pressure assertively and to know who to talk to and how to ask for help if and when they need it. For older children it helps them resist pressure, make safe choices and be able to challenge and be critical of misleading and inappropriate messages about sex in the media.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief. The BHA contributes to debate on a wide range of ethical issues from stem cell research to sex education. The BHA is a member of the National Children’s Bureau Sex Education Forum (SEF) and the Children’s Rights Alliance for England.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has reacted to the news that the Catholic Education Service has claimed the credit for a Government amendment to the Children, Schools and Families Bill that will deprive children of their right to broad, balanced and objective Sex and Relationships Education. On their website, the CES has said that their lobbying produced the change of policy by Ed Balls.

Naomi Phillips, BHA Head of Public Affairs, said, ‘We know all too well that government pays disproportionate heed to vocal religious minorities in a great many areas of law and policy but when the effect of that is to deny vulnerable people – including children – their rights, it is particularly shameful. It is a disgrace that the position of the Government has become that students in community schools should receive comprehensive SRE, which will include objective teaching on issues such as contraception, abortion and safer sexual relationships, but those in Catholic and other religious schools should not be so entitled.’

‘The government’s policy is supposed to be that “every child matters” in relation to health and wellbeing, but the effect of their u-turn is that every child matters unless they happen to be a pupil at a religious school, even though such schools are almost entirely publicly funded.’
Notes

For further comment or information, contact Naomi Phillips, 07540 257101, 020 7079 3585.

The Catholic Education Service’s claim is found at www.cesew.org.uk/standardnews.asp?id=9190

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief. The BHA contributes to debate on a wide range of ethical issues from stem cell research to sex education. The BHA is a member of the National Children’s Bureau Sex Education Forum (SEF) and the Children’s Rights Alliance for England.

Around 250 demonstrators met Sunday outside Westminster Cathedral and marched to the Italian Embassy, as part of the second annual London for a Secular Europe demonstration.



Addressing the rally, the organiser from the Central London Humanist Group, Marco Tranchino, said:

'The Vatican is not an immutable fact of life. It is relatively young, and in fact it is younger than the current pope. The Vatican was created by the dictator Mussolini on the 11th of February 1929 with the Lateran Treaty and since then it has gained more and more financial privileges and power on the global political scene interfering insidiously in debates in the United Nations, especially against women's rights and gay rights.

‘11th of February 1929; and that's why on the anniversary of the Lateran Treaty, every year in Rome, thousands of Italians demonstrate against the Vatican and its undemocratic power. We are here to support the Italian demonstration "NO VAT" [“No Vatican”] and demand a secular Europe. We don't ask this of the Vatican. We ask it of the democratic institutions, and that's why we are here at the Italian embassy.

‘Last year, the British Humanist Association, together with the Central London Humanist Group, was the first to support this event in solidarity with the Italian march.’

Representatives from several organisations spoke at the rally, including Bob Churchill, Head of Membership at the British Humanist Association. Afterwards he said:

‘The speakers addressed many issues of anti-secularism, including state-funded ‘faith’ schools in the UK, increasing EU collusion with religious institutions, ‘blasphemy’ laws such as the new law in Ireland, and the impact that is felt around the world when European states compromise on the basic principles of secularism.'



Notes

For further comment or information contact Bob Churchill on 020 7079 3580, or email.

The British Humanist Association is a founding member of the Protest the Pope Coalition which is organising events this year to protest the state visit, currently planned for September 2010.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has responded to reports that police are to investigate TV presenter Ray Gosling, following his claim that he smothered his terminally ill lover as a result of a pact with him.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, commented, ‘Every time a story like this comes to public attention it reinforces the need for an urgent change in the UK law on assisted dying. Nobody should be put in a position where they feel they have no other option than to ask a loved one to help them die should their suffering become unbearable. We believe that legalising assisted dying in UK, with strict safeguards in place, is the most rational and most ethically preferable option, empowering people to make choices over their end-of-life care, including the choice to have an assisted death if they want.’

‘Our elected representatives in Parliament need to take urgent action to make serious reforms to the law, both to protect vulnerable people and to enable people who are terminally ill or otherwise incurably suffering to make autonomous choices at end of life.’