TRIAL OF DR MOOR FOR MURDER

Early day motion 640, tabled 12 May 1999 by Joe Ashton (Labour). Signed by 35 members.

That this House welcomes the not guilty verdict brought in by the jury at Newcastle Crown Court and the summing up by Judge Hooper following the admission by Dr Moor that he had, at the patient's request, alleviated the suffering of 85 year old cancer victim George Liddell in July 1997 by administering the painkiller Diamorphine; warmly applauds the overwhelming support given to Dr Moor by hundreds of his regular patients over the two long years of investigation by the prosecuting authorities; recognises that while palliative care has made many welcome advances it does not answer all the problems of a dying person; and calls on the Government to introduce clear legislation on the issue of doctor assisted dying to ease the burden of many of those 300,000 people in Britain who are at any one time terminally ill, suffering unbearable distress and sign a declaration requesting medical help to die.

Signatures by party: Labour 22, Liberal Democrat 7, Conservative 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Labour/Co-operative 1.