With the publication of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which has its second reading in the House of Commons on 29 November, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has reiterated its opposition to assisted suicide and euthanasia.
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UK’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
A spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) said, “As an all-Ireland denomination PCI has consistently opposed the introduction of legislation that allows for assisted suicide and euthanasia in either the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. With the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill set for its second reading in Westminster at the end of the month, the prospect of changing the law raises some of the most sensitive and fundamental of questions about the value that we, as a society, place on life itself.
“All people are precious in the sight of God and for people of faith, and indeed no faith at all, human life, its dignity, its preservation, and protection, are moral and precious values, which society casts off at its peril. When it comes down to the hard black and white detail of any proposed legislation, we cannot escape the fact that no amount of legal safeguards can ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society.”
The spokesperson continued, “The government’s priority should be the mainstreaming, investing in and strengthening of palliative care services that support those who are nearing the end of their lives. This needs to be the focus, as the current direction of travel is not the hallmark of a mature, caring and compassionate society.”
PCI's General Assembly expressed its ‘dismay’ and warned of the ‘danger’ of moves to introduce Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia across these islands, when it met in Belfast in June 2024. Unanimously opposing such a move, it affirmed ‘the innate dignity and value of human life from conception to death’.