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Do We Have the Right to Die?
Two leading thinkers present alternative answers to one of the most difficult and divisive questions of our do we have the right to die?
As pressure grows to legalise assisted dying in the United Kingdom, and reform moves onto the political agenda, public opinion remains deeply divided. For those who feel unsure or undecided, this book offers clarity rather than slogans, illuminating the ethical and legal fault lines at the heart of the between autonomy and safety; between personal choice and collective responsibility.
Lady Hale, former President of the Supreme Court, argues that everyone should have the freedom to decide the time and manner of their own death. Drawing on real cases from around the world, she explores how the law could establish effective safeguards, while preserving an individual’s right to decide for themselves when their suffering becomes unbearable. Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, sits in opposition, contending that no such right can ever be absolute, or unqualified. He raises moral and practical concerns about the protection of vulnerable communities, especially those living with disabilities, the pressures facing an already overstretched NHS and the risk that assisted dying could become a substitute for properly funded palliative care.
Both acknowledge that the alleviation of pain is a noble endeavour but differ as to whether it should amount to a legal obligation on the state — and diverge on the risks such an obligation might pose to others, particularly the most vulnerable. Their essays turn on the questions and decisions we all must who should be eligible for an euthanasia programme; how decisions would be authorised; who should deliver assistance; and what modern medicine could, and should, provide.
Moving beyond division, both authors confront a deeper how a public healthcare system can universally uphold dignity, and what it would truly mean to offer us all what we profoundly deserve – a good death.
As pressure grows to legalise assisted dying in the United Kingdom, and reform moves onto the political agenda, public opinion remains deeply divided. For those who feel unsure or undecided, this book offers clarity rather than slogans, illuminating the ethical and legal fault lines at the heart of the between autonomy and safety; between personal choice and collective responsibility.
Lady Hale, former President of the Supreme Court, argues that everyone should have the freedom to decide the time and manner of their own death. Drawing on real cases from around the world, she explores how the law could establish effective safeguards, while preserving an individual’s right to decide for themselves when their suffering becomes unbearable. Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, sits in opposition, contending that no such right can ever be absolute, or unqualified. He raises moral and practical concerns about the protection of vulnerable communities, especially those living with disabilities, the pressures facing an already overstretched NHS and the risk that assisted dying could become a substitute for properly funded palliative care.
Both acknowledge that the alleviation of pain is a noble endeavour but differ as to whether it should amount to a legal obligation on the state — and diverge on the risks such an obligation might pose to others, particularly the most vulnerable. Their essays turn on the questions and decisions we all must who should be eligible for an euthanasia programme; how decisions would be authorised; who should deliver assistance; and what modern medicine could, and should, provide.
Moving beyond division, both authors confront a deeper how a public healthcare system can universally uphold dignity, and what it would truly mean to offer us all what we profoundly deserve – a good death.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 13, 2026
A lot to digest. A far more complex issue than I had originally anticipated. This is a genuine ethical and legal minefield. Bit of a full-on read tbh.
Rowan Williams makes his case with evident care, but gets there slowly (hurry up old man!). Lady Hale is more compelling and, in all truth, readable. Her use of case studies and real people’s stories is more persuasive than Williams’ theoretical positions.
Rowan Williams makes his case with evident care, but gets there slowly (hurry up old man!). Lady Hale is more compelling and, in all truth, readable. Her use of case studies and real people’s stories is more persuasive than Williams’ theoretical positions.
August 9, 2026
A supporter and an opponent of assisted dying, both of them Christians, make their cases with thoughtfulness nuanced and important mutual understanding. Food for thought wherever one stands on this topic.
June 14, 2026
3.5 rounded up.
August 25, 2026
I came in with an opinion and left with a deeper understanding and more questions to ponder upon. Great book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews