SW News: Disabled rights advocates in Britain are "extremely concerned" that they may not be called to appear at the House of Commons hearing on assisted suicide and that the review may be jeopardized since none of the specialists who presented oral evidence last month opposed the controversial procedure.

Last month, the Health and Social Care Committee began hearing public testimony to determine whether assisted suicide should be legalized in England and Wales. Lord Falconer and Baroness Meacher, the founders of the Dignity in Dying movement, spoke in favor of assisted suicide, while two of their peers, Baroness Finlay and Baroness Hollins, strongly opposed it.

Meanwhile, Not Dead Yet UK (NDY UK), a renowned disability rights group, has asked for a guarantee that people with disabilities or their organizations would be called to give oral evidence before the committee, according to Disability News Service.

According to Phil Friend, co-convener of NDY UK, disabled people's viewpoints on issues impacting their lives and perceptions should be heard. He observed that understanding assisted suicide and dying required handicapped people's viewpoints, and he warned that excluding them from these talks may harm disability policy.

Meanwhile, righttolife.org.uk claims that a Commons committee spokesman stated that they could not ensure that those with impairments would be allowed to offer oral evidence.

Canada legalized euthanasia in 2016, and by 2021, it had killed 10,064 Canadians, a 32 percent rise over the previous year and accounting for 3.3 percent of all fatalities. According to the most current Medical Assistance in Dying research conducted by Health Canada, 17.3 percent of patients claimed "isolation or loneliness" as a cause of mortality. 35.7 percent of patients reported being a "burden on family, friends, or caregivers."