I'll be guinea pig for right-to-die, says Terry Pratchett after 'Margo's Law' move

Published on Sunday 31 January 2010 21:32

SIR Terry Pratchett will offer himself as a test case for assisted suicide "tribunals" which could give people legal permission to end their life with medical help.

The author, who has Alzheimer's disease, will say that the "time is really coming" for assisted death to be legalised as he delivers the Richard Dimbleby Lecture today.

He wants to see a tribunal set up where people who have incurable diseases can apply for assistance, and measures would be in place to make sure that they were of sound mind and not being influenced by anyone else.

A legal expert in family affairs and a doctor who had dealt with serious, long-term illness would be part of the body.

The best-selling author's comments come days after Kay Gilderdale was acquitted of attempted murder after helping her daughter, who was paralysed by ME, to end her life.

Last month the veteran MSP Margo MacDonald launched her right-to-die bill in the Scottish Parliament that could introduce suicide clinics to Scotland and see those as young as 16 given the right to decide to end their life.

Sir Terry will offer himself as a test case for the proposed "tribunal", saying: "If I knew that I could die at any time I wanted, suddenly every day would be as precious as a million pounds. If I knew that I could die, I would live. My life, my death, my choice."

He will say that many GPs would support the right to die and that turning to the medical profession to help was "sensible".

"I do not expect or assume that every GP or hospital practitioner would be prepared to assist death by arrangement, even in the face of overwhelming medical evidence.

"That is their choice. Choice is very important in this matter.

"But there will be some probably older, probably wiser, who will understand. It seems sensible to me that we should look to the medical profession that over the centuries has helped us to live longer and healthier lives, to help us die peacefully among our loved ones in our own home without a long stay in God's waiting room."

Ms MacDonald said: "This is very brave of Terry and I admire him very much for putting himself forward in this way. Anything is worth exploring if it will reassure people that don't have conditions like Alzheimers that if they do, there's a recognised way in which their wishes are respected.

"However, my bill doesn't apply to Alzheimers and dementia because for the life of me I can't see a way that guarantees that it is the person's wishes. With neurological conditions like Parkinson's and Motor Neurone Disease, the person can know exactly what they want, but that's not necessarily the case with dementia.

"Also the people my bill would apply to are likely to be suffering from advanced conditions, nearing the end of their life, and if they had to leave home to go to a tribunal it might be too much. But it is certainly worth investigating."