If the Assisted Dying Bill does return to parliament and become law, who may and may not be statutorily protected from compulsory involvement in the assisted dying process?
Clause 5 of the Bill differs from section 4 of the Abortion Act. Section 4(1) gives an opt-out from participating “…in any treatment authorised by this Act…”. Two landmark cases considered the words “…to participate in any treatment”. In 1989 Mrs Janaway lost her case in the House of Lords. She was a secretary/receptionist in a health centre who objected to typing a letter from a GP referring a patient to hospital for possible termination. The Court decided that “any treatment authorised by this Act” was restricted to the process of treatment in hospital.
