Law enforcement leader David Seymour rejects bishops’ claims on euthanasia

By RNZ

Act Party urges religious leaders who oppose the End-of-Life Choice Act to respect the decisions of others.

Catholic bishops issued an election statement this week opposing the law, which would give terminally ill people the option to legally apply for help in dying.

In their statement, the bishops say they believe the Act does not meet the “extremely high safety threshold” that they believe it would require, due to the risk to the elderly and disabled who are within the scope of the Act.

But the Law’s leader, David Seymour, who authored the Law, has rejected the claims made by the bishops, saying the law explicitly prohibits anyone from being eligible to elect assisted death due to old age or disability.

The bishops also asserted that the Act does not have a mandatory suspension period, weak processes for detecting if people feel pressured, and no requirement for a patient to discuss their decision with a family member or other significant person.

A person would not be eligible to apply for assisted death under the Act if the only reason given is that he or she suffers from a mental disorder or mental illness, or has a disability of any kind, or is elderly.

They must be citizens or permanent residents over the age of 18, suffer a terminal illness that is expected to end their life within six months, have a significant and continuous decline in physical capacity, experience excruciating suffering that cannot be relieved and be able to make an informed assessment. decision on assisted death.

People who are eligible must also get approval from two separate doctors and go through an extensive checklist.

If a doctor believes that the person is being pressured to make a decision, the process must be stopped and doctors cannot start a conversation about it.

Seymour says religious leaders need to understand that the Law of Choice at the End of Life is about choice, dignity and respect.

“They may have a philosophical view that life belongs to God, and they have the right to believe. They have no right to impose it on others,” he said in a statement.

“If bishops want their freedoms respected, they must engage in an honest debate that respects that others have different options than theirs.”

– RNZ