Silent Witness star Liz Carr issues sobering warning about assisted suicide law change plans

Silent Witness star Liz Carr has spoken out against assisted suicide being legalised in the UK and has looked across the Atlantic to see how changes are being handled in the USA

Comedian and actress Liz Carr has warned of the risks of legalising assisted suicide – saying it could lead to disabled people being pressured into ending their lives.

The 52-year-old TV and stage star is known for appearing in shows including Silent Witness and was part of the comedy group Abnormally Funny People – alongside current Strictly Come Dancing contestant Chris McCausland, 47. As well as performing, Liz is an active campaigner for disability rights and has spoken out against plans to legalise assisted dying.

The topic has been making headlines in recent months after esteemed broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, 84, began campaigning for laws in the UK to be changed after she was diagnosed with lung cancer which has since developed to stage four. Current Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, this month vowed to hold debate on the issue of assisted suicide in Parliament after promising Dame Esther he would do so if he won the 2024 election – in which he triumphed in July this year.

Liz, who suffers from the rare genetic condition arthrogryposis multiplex congenita which causes joint stiffness and the range of motion, has been campaigning against the relaxation of the law. She has issued concerns that those with disabilities could be pressured into seeking life ending treatment.

She told the MailOnline: “For somebody who loses their job or a loved one and is left feeling suicidal, others will rally around and support them with suicide prevention help. But as soon as that’s a disabled or ill person, people think it’s fine for them to have a medically-assisted death. They think it’s better to be dead than to be disabled.”

The star also acknowledged that change in the law in the USA has been stalled. She acknowledged: “We’re told that these laws sweeping the West are inevitable. But look at what’s happening in the US. At any one time, there are bills in 25 states to allow assisted dying, but they continue to fail. For the past three years, it’s been at a standstill — there’s nothing inevitable about it.”

Liz went on to share her hope that this could signal lawmakers in the USA are approaching the subject with due care and consideration. Assisted suicide is legal in some countries around the world – meaning the people who wish to end their lives can be prescribed medication that they know will end their life should they meet requirements for the process.

In the UK, such laws are not currently legal, meaning if a family member helps someone reach a country where such practices are allowed, they could face charges related to the death of the individual. Switzerland famously offers assisted suicide services – but some UK based families have been arrested and put on trial for helping patients reach the European country.

Authorities in Canada have also come under fire in recent years after euthanasia was legalised in 2016. Reports have subsequently suggested that those living in poverty and those living with disabilities have been driven to seek medical assistance to end their lives.