My reason for asking this question is the recent High Court decision to refuse Mrs Debbie Purdy’s request for clarification on the law on assisted suicide.

I believe the vast majority of people in the UK do support the right of terminally ill people who are in pain and suffering declining faculties to have the right to end their own lives.

At present, people wanting to end their lives have to travel to Switzerland to obtain the services of organisations like Dignitas to end their lives. There are indications that the Swiss are considering ending the legal right of non-Swiss people to access this service.

The present law on assisted suicide in England and Wales dates back to 1961. Clearly, it is time that the law was brought up-to-date.

If we had the same safeguards as those for the termination of pregnancies, i.e. that two doctors sign a certificate stating that the person wishing to end their life is independently exercising their own choice in the matter, this would avoid the possibility of individuals being pressurised to end their lives to accommodate the wishes of others.

People everywhere have fought to achieve individual freedom. If we are supposed to be free to exercise our own minds over how we choose to live our lives then surely we should be able to exercise choice as to how we choose to end our lives?

If the State and Religion are allowed to exercise a veto over the ultimate freedom of individuals to choose to live or not to live, then we are all living in a truly fascist society.