Right to Die

Viscount Hailsham Excerpts

Thursday 14th July 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Faulks]

I am sure that all noble Lords would agree with what the noble Lord said, whatever their views about the issue.

[Viscount Hailsham (Con)]

My Lords, might one way forward be to incorporate into statutory form the guidelines of the DPP, reflecting as desirable the views of the Supreme Court? This would be desirable in itself and might also stand in the way of a declaration of incompatibility, which I would deem to be undesirable.

[Lord Faulks]

I am grateful for that suggestion. There are different views about whether it is appropriate for the Supreme Court to instruct Parliament to do anything. A lot of academic lawyers consider that Parliament is much better equipped to decide these issues. Judges and courts will inevitably consider the matter on a case-by-case basis as opposed to the polycentric view that Parliament will be able to bring to it. I respectfully submit that it is a matter for Parliament.