The British Medical Association reaffirmed its opposition to assisted suicide at its 2009 annual conference.
Despite an attempt by MPs to legalize the practice or allow so-called suicide tourism, doctors rejected a call from BMA member Kailash Chand to change its long-held views. Chand hoped to get the BMA to support a position allowing assisted suicide in cases where a patient is terminally ill and has the mental capacity to consent to killing himself.
Doctors also rejected calls to support a position against prosecuting physicians who break the law by participating in an assisted suicide. The motion, which encompassed both issues, was voted down 53-45 percent. [2July09, London, England, www.LifeNews.com]