Church leaders warn of the dangers contained in proposed legislation on assisted dying

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Justin Welby, warned that legalising assisted dying is dangerous and risks turning the right to die into a duty.

The archbishop, leader of the global Anglican Communion, which includes the Church of Ireland, was joined in his denunciation by leaders of the four main churches in Ireland – Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic and Methodist.

Their intervention came against the formal introduction of a Private Member’s Bill in the House of Commons that aims to offer choice at the end of life.

Archbishop Welby said: “I think this approach is both dangerous and sets us in a direction which is even more dangerous, and in every other place where it’s been done, has led to a slippery slope.”

Writing in the Daily Mail he said: “The right to end your life could all too easily, all too accidentally, turn into a duty to do so.

“I worry that even the best intentions can lead to unintended consequences and that the desire to help our neighbour could unintentionally, open the door to more pain and suffering for those we are trying to help.”

The bill is being brought forward by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who said that any change in the law would be “potentially one of the most important changes in legislation that we will ever see in this country”.

The proposed legislation, if passed, will apply only to the jurisdictions of England and Wales. The matter is devolved and both the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament, would have to make their own decisions on the matter.

The Labour Party has made it clear its members will be given a free vote as is likely with the Conservative and Liberal Democrats.

It is understood that the nine unionist MPs will oppose the legislation, in keeping with the position of the main churches in Northern Ireland and public opinion in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland said: “Changing the law to permit assisted suicide and euthanasia raises some of the most sensitive and fundamental of questions about the value we place on life.

“For people of faith, and no faith at all, human life, its dignity, its preservation, and protection, are moral and precious values, which society casts off at its peril.

“If there is a conversation to be had, it needs to be about the mainstreaming, investing in and strengthening of palliative care services that support those who are nearing the end of their lives.

“The current direction of travel will impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our society and is not, in any way, the hallmark of a caring society.”

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and prelate of all-Ireland Eamon Martin said: “For all those who cherish a culture of life across these islands, the introduction of laws to permit assisted suicide is an affront to a safe and protective society.

“It is noteworthy that medical and healthcare professionals are also gravely concerned at an evolving political ideology which would interfere with their calling to ‘do no harm’.”