Member

Amendment 612 proposes that every assisted death is witnessed and documented to prevent the possibility of coercion or foul play. This would simultaneously protect professionals involved if any concerns were later raised by distressed family. I am suggesting a video recording, to improve transparency in a tightly regulated environment that can be fraught with high emotion. This may surprise noble Lords so I will explain a little more. I propose that the entire process is video recorded, including confirmation of the person’s identity, their wish to die and their capacity to make that decision with clear evidence that they are acting without any undue influence. The recording would be submitted to the coroner within 72 hours of the person’s death. This approach has precedent in Switzerland, where similar recordings are used by assisted death organisations to support the work of public prosecutors and to reduce the investigative burden on authorities.