The public wish for a dignified death in the United Kingdom: an analysis of the role of public opinion in the British parliamentary debates about the legalisation of physician assisted suicide (1993-2015).

In this thesis, the gap between a steady and overwhelming majority of the British public in favour of legalisation of PAS and a political unwillingness to change the legal status quo is explored. The question that stands central in this historically uncharted topic is how this majority of public opinion was perceived and used in the parliamentary debates on PAS in both the HOL and HOC and how it has influenced these debates over time (1993-2015). From the first two chapters it becomes clear that mounting public pressure via media, lobby groups and court rulings resulted in multiple efforts through PMB’s to legalise PAS. In that sense, public pressure was already an influential factor in bringing about political debate and attention to the subject. It is further argued that from 2003 onwards the question of which role public opinion on PAS should play in the decision making provided for an authoritarian/liberal line of conflict. Lords and MP’s increasingly considered the argument...Show moreIn this thesis, the gap between a steady and overwhelming majority of the British public in favour of legalisation of PAS and a political unwillingness to change the legal status quo is explored. The question that stands central in this historically uncharted topic is how this majority of public opinion was perceived and used in the parliamentary debates on PAS in both the HOL and HOC and how it has influenced these debates over time (1993-2015). From the first two chapters it becomes clear that mounting public pressure via media, lobby groups and court rulings resulted in multiple efforts through PMB’s to legalise PAS. In that sense, public pressure was already an influential factor in bringing about political debate and attention to the subject. It is further argued that from 2003 onwards the question of which role public opinion on PAS should play in the decision making provided for an authoritarian/liberal line of conflict. Lords and MP’s increasingly considered the argument that a majority of the public was in favour of PAS as one of the most important or in some cases even as a foundational justification to legitimise their claim for legalisation of PAS. These representatives were supporters of the concepts of liberty and autonomy of the individual to determine one’s own destiny. However, representatives opposing PAS in both Houses on the other hand showed a total distrust of the public opinion. They denied any involvement of public opinion on the decision making process and even found it potentially dangerous for policy making. They showed an authoritarian and superior attitude towards the ability of the public in making an informed decision on PAS. The increase in MP’s and Lords voting against PAS in the researched period shows that despite this intensive and growing debate on public opinion in parliament, public pressure has not been able to bend voting in favour of a majority.Show less

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The public wish for a dignified death in the United Kingdom: an analysis of the role of public opinion in the British parliamentary debates about the legalisation of physician assisted suicide (1993-2015).