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Overwhelming defeat for Margo Macdonald’s End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill
Tonight, the Scottish Parliament has voted overwhelmingly by 85 to 16 to reject Margo Macdonald's End…

The vast majority of the members of Lord Falconer’s new commission on assisted dying are well-known names in the pro-legalisation lobby
Today I went by invitation to the launch of Lord Falconer’s Commission on ‘Assisted Dying’ at…

Further disclosures about Lord Falconer’s Commission on Assisted Dying raise more questions about transparency and independence
The Commission on 'Assisted Dying', due to be launched on Tuesday 30 November, has attracted some more…

By focusing exclusively on HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB, Western governments and NGOs have neglected other easily treatable and curable diseases
Micah Challenge is a global coalition of Christians holding governments to account for their promise…

Serious questions raised about status and independence of new Commission on ‘Assisted Dying’
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) last week ran a story about a new Commission on ‘Assisted Dying’…

17th Century lesson for medical students today
Thomas Sydenham, a man of deep Christian faith who many regard as the father of English medicine, said…

Death of a tea lady – the unforeseen effects of a bad management decision
When I was a general surgical registrar in Auckland, New Zealand the 'management era' was just beginning.…

Scottish GPs add their voices to those calling for final burial of Scottish ‘End of Life Assistance Bill’. Read final committee conclusions here.
A GROUP of 47 GPs have united in opposition to moves at the Scottish Parliament to legalise assisted…

The Committee scrutinizing Margo MacDonald’s Bill have recommended that it be rejected – now it is time for MSPs finally to bury it
I have previously blogged about Margo MacDonald's End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill which seeks…

‘We have a charge from Christ to care for the weakest in society’ – Dr Trevor Stammers speaks on Channel 4 about abortion
Channel Four are showing a series of short films this week about different people’s views on abortion.…

Don’t believe everything you read in the Washington Post – a compendium of the most recent medical evidence linking abortion and mental health
I recently blogged about an adjournment debate in the House of Commons in which Nadine Dorries MP spoke…
Individuals and Organisations who refused to give evidence to Falconer Commission
The Falconer Commission on ‘Assisted Dying’, which publishes its report today, has been accused (quite rightly) of being unnecessary, biased and lacking transparency. It was sponsored by Dignity in Dying, formerly the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, and financed by Terry Pratchett one of their patrons, with panel members being handpicked by Lord Falconer (pictured), a leading […]
What Falconer does not say about assisted suicide is even more worrying than what he does say
On New Year’s day, Lord Falconer (pictured) wrote an opinion piece for the Daily Telegraph with the specious title ‘A duty of care to our last days on Earth’. It was subtitled ‘Do Britain’s laws on assisted dying work, and if not, what should replace them?’ The piece was an advertorial for the much trumpeted […]
Calls for action on care need to be heeded
When I wrote last July about how the findings of the Dilnot Commission into the funding of social care for the elderly looked likely to be admired but ignored by Government, I feared that the matter of how we care as a society for our most vulnerable members was once again being kicked into the […]
Charles Falconer’s bent jury
Charles Falconer’s ‘Commission on Assisted Dying’ is due to report on Thursday 5 January 2012, over a year after it first launched in November 2010, but its recommendations have already being leaked (ie. pre-announced) this week and we can expect more drip-drip as the week goes on. The commission was originally ‘suggested’ by the pressure […]
Ireland’s Gain, England’s Loss
A fascinating new comparative analysis of the effects of abortion on a whole country’s population and health has been published this week. Ireland and Northern Ireland both have far more restrictive laws on abortion than England, Wales and Scotland and thus provide a neat comparison of statistical data between the different countries. A new report […]
‘Alcohol is blighting our communities’ says church poll
A YouGov poll published today on behalf of three major British Christian denominations has revealed that 61% of British adults believe that excessive drinking is a problem in their local area. The Baptists, Methodists and United Reformed Churches have expressed concerns about the increasing availability of cheap alcohol and the effects this might be having […]
Sham euthanasia report from Canada should make us more wary
Charlie Falconer’s sham ‘Commission on Assisted Dying’ is due to report on 5 January 2012, over a year after it first launched in November 2009. The private commission was set up by Falconer because Dignity in Dying (previously the Voluntary Euthanasia Society) had failed three times since 2006 in legalizing assisted suicide in Britain and […]
98% of abortions in Britain are technically illegal, and many will lead to mental health problems for women
One of the most comprehensive and systematic reviews to date into the link between abortion and mental health problems has confirmed that women who have an unplanned pregnancy are at an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems after an abortion. The Review also highlights which women are most at risk of mental health problems […]
A new milestone in irresponsible media reporting of suicide
I was phoned last Monday by Sky News to be told that they were planning to give an international media platform to a new case of assisted suicide involving a media personality who was dying of cancer. The story has broken today. This carefully orchestrated move by a former BBC producer, in collaboration with the […]
Is restrictive abortion legislation ineffectual, as new research claims?
According to a number of newspaper articles last week, abortion rates are unaffected by legislation. In other words, countries with more restrictive abortion laws have pretty much the same rates as those with very few restrictions. The news headlines read: ‘Countries with restricted access to abortion, including the UK, do not have lower termination rates […]
Please support the current definition of marriage in Scotland
The Scottish Government Same-Sex Marriage Consultation closes on Friday 9 December. CMF is backing Scotland for Marriage in its campaign to retain the current legal definition of marriage which has served Scotland well for centuries. Scotland for Marriage is opposed to redefining marriage in Scotland and is calling for a referendum on this issue. Respondents […]
‘Life’ sentences for murder are necessary to deter would-be mercy killers
A group of legal ‘experts’ has claimed today that mandatory life sentences for murder in England and Wales and the system for setting minimum terms are unjust and outdated. The Homicide Review Advisory Group, made up of judges, academics and former QCs, says the system does not allow for sentences to match individual crimes.The mandatory life […]