On January 10, Humanists UK published the consultation paper on assisted dying that the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) planned to conduct in 2019. The Ministry not only planned but also completed the consultation, however it was never revealed.
Now, 4 years later, Humanists UK obtained the the consultation paper on assisted dying through the Freedom of Information Act, and after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) ordered the MoJ to deliver the paper after deciding that Humanists UK’s request was incorrectly refused.
In 2019, the former Secretary of State for Justice, David Gauke, instructed the Ministry of Justice to draft the paper to better inform parliamentary debate. The paper called for evidence about the positive and negative impacts of the current law in England and Wales, and asked for evidence from other countries and evidence about the potential impact of a change in the law.
On January 12, The New Statesman reported that former Justice Secretary David Gauke said that No. 10 blocked the publication of his 2019 consultation paper and further debate on assisted dying in the UK.
You can read the paper below:
United Kingdom