page_title: My Death My Decision
section_title: Campaign for Assisted Dying
hierarchical_section_title: My Death My Decision / Activities / Campaign for Assisted Dying
caption_attribution_description: English: Trevor Moore holding open letter to mark the tenth anniversary of Debbie Purdy’s landmark legal case
context_page_description: My Death, My Decision is an organisation that campaigns for the legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales. The group was founded in 2009, in order to campaign for a change in the law and advocate on behalf of adults of sound mind, who are either terminally ill or incurably suffering.
  In 2019, alongside other leading right-to-die societies, My Death, My Decision co-founded the UK Assisted Dying Coalition. It is also a longstanding member of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies.
context_section_description: My Death, My Decision has long supported the rights of those who want assistance to end their own life, and lobbied Parliament for a change in the law which would enable both those who are terminally ill or incurably suffering the option of a safeguarded assisted dying. The organisation believes that there is a strong moral case to extend assisted dying to adults facing years of permanent and unbearable suffering, and cites changes in the law in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland as evidence in support of its position. 
  In March 2019, the organisation commissioned a poll from the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) which found that up to 88% of the public favoured assisted dying for either those who were incurably suffering or terminally ill, in at least some circumstances. The research indicated a significant shift in public attitudes in favour of assisted dying for the incurably suffering, and prompted an Member of Parliament, who had previously voted against assisted dying reform, to suggest MPs were at risk of becoming out of touch.
  In 2019, the group also helped to form the Assisted Dying Coalition, a group of like-minded campaign groups seeking to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill or incurably suffering.
  Persistent campaigns include calling for the Government to set up an inquiry into the impact of the Suicide Act 1961 and to investigate jurisdictions which have legalised assisted dying abroad; challenging the use of the “forfeiture rule” (a civil law which can prevent those who compassionately assist someone to die abroad from receiving any inheritance, despite not having criminal charges brought against them); as well advocating the use “Statements of Settled Wishes”, a new safeguard for assisted dying which would allow someone to pre-register their intention to have an assisted death.
  In July 2019, they organised an open letter to mark the tenth anniversary of Debbie Purdy’s landmark legal case, which was signed by thirty-four leading doctors, politicians, religious leaders, academics, and campaigners, to urge the Secretary of State for Justice to consider reviewing the law on assisted dying. Although the Secretary of State for Justice had approved a call for evidence into assisted dying, the inquiry was subsequently reversed following David Gauke’s resignation.
caption: Trevor Moore holding open letter to mark the tenth anniversary of Debbie Purdy’s landmark legal case
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