THE notion that someone facing a terminal illness or fatal condition should be able to decide at what point their life should be brought to a close, and to opt for “death with dignity,” isn’t one that can be brushed aside. 

Many of us will find ourselves or someone we love in a situation where such a decision is anything but an abstract consideration.

Yet the reality is that no public policy can be considered outside of the broader social and political context. As austerity measures take ever-greater effect and the provision of healthcare and vital support services are effectively rationed, the danger is that assisted dying can be effectively forced on those who have been socially abandoned.