Noel Conway writes open letter supporting assisted dying in Guernsey

Thursday 03 May 2018

The terminally ill man at the centre of a court room battle in the UK over his right to die has written an open letter to Guernsey's deputies supporting the States upcoming debate on assisted dying.

Noel Conway was diagnosed with incurable and terminal motor neurone disease in 2014 and this week he has been challenging the UK's laws at the Court of Appeal in London.

The 68-year-old from Shropshire is being supported by the organisation Dignity in Dying to bring a judicial review challenging the current national law. Mr Conway has said that he feels that he is prevented from exercising his right to choice and control over his death under the current UK law and he fears that without a change in the law he may be forced to suffer against his wishes.

Mr Conway, supported by Dignity in Dying, has instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell to bring this case to fight for his right to have the option of an assisted death when he is in his final six months of life.

Now, Mr Conway has said he hopes Guernsey will adopt new legislation allowing assisted dying to help other people like himself.

He wrote to the island's politicians and media explaining that he has been watching the local debate with great interest and he wanted to offer his own perspective "as someone for whom this issue is more personal than most."

Pictured above and top: Noel Conway 

Having been diagnosed with MND in November 2014, Mr Conway said his "classic form of the disease" which is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is "incurable and terminal. Having been a fit and active cyclist, climber and skier throughout my life, I now can no longer walk at all and only have limited mobility in my right hand, head and neck. I use a ventilator to breathe for up to 23 hours a day."

He said he knows he will die and there is nothing anyone can do to change that so what he wants is "the right to go out on my own terms, peacefully, without undue suffering and with dignity."

With assisted dying being illegal in England and Wales he said he could "let nature take its course, leaving me entombed in my own body unable to communicate" but he adds he may choke or suffocate first. He could also remove his own ventilator to bring about death more quickly but that would mean he would slowly suffocate over several days or weeks. Another option would be to travel to Switzerland where assisted dying is legal but that costly option does still involve the risk of prosecution for his family. He said "to me, these are not acceptable choices."

In his letter to Guernsey's deputies and media he said changing the law on assisted dying has the support of 80% of the British public but so far UK Politicians have not acted. He would now "implore those who are sceptical of change to imagine themselves in my shoes, faced with the prospect of unbearable suffering and a traumatic, drawn-out death that will be agony for their loved ones to witness."

Mr Conway ended his letter, writing: "Guernsey has the opportunity to make history – like America, Canada and Australia has. I hope you do what Westminster failed to."

Pictured above: Noel Conway's open letter regarding assisted dying