‘Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die’ by Charlie Russell

After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, renowned author Terry Pratchett, who was knighted for his services to literature, interviews several others with terminal diseases who have made the decision to end their life through medical assistance in dying. Produced for BBC Scotland as a television documentary, millionaire hotelier Peter Smedley is the focal point in the story: a British millionaire who engages the Swiss non-profit organization Dignitas which provides medical assistance in dying for those located in jurisdictions banning the option. The film depicts Peter Smedley’s wife who prefers that he stay alive longer, however supports his decision as waiting too long could take the option away from him if he becomes unable to consent and travel for the procedure. The film also features Mick Gordelier, a retired London taxi driver, who decides against medical assistance in dying for himself, preferring to die in hospice. Finally, the film also shows widow of Hugo Claus and depicts her experience accompanying her partner through medical aid in dying in Switzerland.

The documentary takes place in the United Kingdom with the Suicide Act of 1961 as legislative context. The Act prohibits assisting any person in committing suicide and has been used to charge the family members who assist a dying person in travelling to Switzerland for use of Dignitas’s services. The criminal justice system has not charged any person in the United Kingdom with assisting someone to commit suicide via the Swiss system, however charges have been historically laid and then withdrawn in a limited number of cases. The UK Parliament has, on several occasions, seen proposed legislation which would modify the Suicide Act, however the proposals have been unsuccessful each time they have been proposed. Terry Pratchett himself was a patron of Dignity in Dying, and the documentary was part of his broader campaign to change UK law to allow assisted dying. The film sparked strong controversy and was widely criticized by the public, charities, as well as Christian and pro-life groups for broadcasting the final moments of a man’s assisted suicide, as well as providing a ‘biased’ message in favour of assisted dying. It also led to a motion, tabled by several members of parliament, that called on the BBC to remain impartial on the subject of assisted dying.