Exploring public views on assisted dying

The Citizens’ Jury took place between April and June 2024. The Jury met for 7 sessions over a total of 24 hours. The webinar and sessions 1 – 4 took place online, and the final two sessions took place in-person in London.

In addition to the evidence and information presented in presentations by expert witnesses and speakers, Jurors were also given a series of written stimulus materials in preparation for attending the Jury sessions.

A list of speakers and sessions is below and full details of the information and evidence provided to Jury members can be found in this document.

Introductory webinar – an introduction to the Jury’s purpose and topic

An introduction to the Citizens’ Jury

Henrietta Hopkins, Lead Facilitator; Director of Hopkins Van Mil

Introduction to the purpose of the Jury

Anne Kerr, Chair of the Advisory Board; Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Head of School, Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

An introduction to listening and thinking

Alan Renwick, Professor of Democratic Politics and Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit, University College London

(Informant)

An introduction to ethical thinking

Sarah Chan, Chancellor’s Fellow and Reader in Bioethics at the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh

(Informant)

Terminology, definitions and our Jury question

Suzanne Ost, Professor of Law, Lancaster University

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Alexandra Mullock, Senior Lecturer in Medical Law, University of Manchester

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Session 1 – The UK situation and an overview of assisted dying

The UK Context

Adam McCann, Associate Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, University of Reading

(Informant)

An introduction to Parliament

Video: 'An introduction to Parliament'

An overview of the components of assisted dying (Part 1)

Isra Black, Associate Professor in Law and Vice Dean International in the Faculty of Laws, University College London

(Informant)

An overview of the components of assisted dying (Part 2)

Annabel Price, Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist, Addenbrooke’s Hospital; Visiting Researcher, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Associate Specialist Director for Palliative Care, Cambridge Institute of Public Health.

(Informant)

Jury Friends' reflections

Suzanne Ost, Professor of Law, Lancaster University

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Alexandra Mullock, Senior Lecturer in Medical Law, University of Manchester

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Jury deliberations

Session 2 – The international context and case studies

The international context

Adam McCann, Associate Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, University of Reading

(Informant)

Case study - Canada

Thomas McMorrow, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director of Legal Studies, Ontario Tech University

(Informant and advocate)

Case study - Canada

Mary Shariff, Professor of Law and Director of Master of Human Rights Program, University of Manitoba

(Informant and advocate)

Case study - Oregon, USA

Nancy Berlinger, Senior Research Scholar, Hastings Centre, Garrison New York

(Informant and advocate)

Case study - Oregon, USA

Lydia Dugdale, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Centre for Clinical Medical Ethics, Columbia University

(Informant and advocate)

Jury Friends' reflections

Suzanne Ost, Professor of Law, Lancaster University

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Alexandra Mullock, Senior Lecturer in Medical Law, University of Manchester

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Jury deliberations

Session 3 – A range of perspectives: campaigning organisations and religions

Panel discussion & Q&A

Gordon McDonald, CEO, Care Not Killing

(Advocate)

Lloyd Riley, Director of Policy and Research, Dignity in Dying

(Advocate)

Nathan Sitwell, Assisted Dying campaigner, Humanists UK

(Advocate)

Carol Davis, Board member, Living and Dying Well; Consultant in Palliative Medicine, University Hospital Southampton and Visiting Consultant in Palliative Medicine Jersey Hospice Care

(Advocate)

An overview of faith and religious perspectives

David A Jones, Professor in Bioethics, St Mary’s University and Director, Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Oxford

(Informant)

A hospital chaplaincy perspective

Shaykh Yunus Dudhwala, Head of Chaplaincy and Bereavement Services, Muslim Chaplain, Barts Health NHS Trust

(Informant)

Jury Friends' reflections

Suzanne Ost, Professor of Law, Lancaster University

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Alexandra Mullock, Senior Lecturer in Medical Law, University of Manchester

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Jury deliberations

Session 4 – A range of perspectives: lived experience, disability, palliative care and clinicians

An overview of disability views from a disability perspective

Miro Griffiths

Lecturer in Social Policy and Disability Studies, University of Leeds

(Advocate)

An overview of disability views from a disability perspective

Tom Shakespeare

Professor of Disability Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

(Advocate)

Five films of people sharing their lived experience based on a range of scenarios

People sharing their lived experience, based on the following scenarios:

• A person with first-hand lived experience of a long-term health condition who is in favour of a change of the law on assisted dying.
• A person with first-hand lived experience of a terminal condition who is in favour of a change in the law on assisted dying.
• Individuals describing their experience of a family member who had an assisted death in Dignitas, Switzerland.
• A person with first-hand lived experience of a terminal condition who is in opposition to a change in the law on assisted dying.
• A person with lived experience of a longterm health condition who is in opposition to a change in the law on assisted dying.

(Advocates)

An overview of palliative care

Jamilla Hussain

Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Bradford NHS Trust, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Hull York Medical School

(Informant)

An overview of clinician perspectives – The British Medical Association (BMA)

Andrew Green

Deputy Chair of BMA medical ethics committee and MEC lead on physician-assisted dying

(Informant)

Jury Friends' reflections

Suzanne Ost

Professor of Law, Lancaster University

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Alexandra Mullock

Senior Lecturer in Medical Law, University of Manchester

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Jury deliberations

Session 5 – Reviewing all the evidence and information

An overview of the Jury process so far

Henrietta Hopkins

Lead Facilitator; Director of Hopkins Van Mil

Developing clear recommendations

Suzanne Ost

Professor of Law, Lancaster University

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Developing clear recommendations

Alexandra Mullock

Senior Lecturer in Medical Law, University of Manchester

(Jury Friend, Informant)

Session 6 – Deliberation and developing recommendations

Jury deliberation, voting, and forming recommendations