LML Affiliate Dr Zoë Fritz, a doctor and ethicist at the University of Cambridge Clinical School, spoke at the inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Dialogue at Selwyn College, Cambridge. The Dialogue focused on the question of whether assisted dying is compassionate or dangerous for society. This important discussion happened at a time when a Bill to enable terminally ill adults to be provided with assistance to end their own life is being debated by Parliament. There have been a number of attempts to legislate in this area, all of which so far have failed, although opinion polls suggest public support for the idea. The event launched a series of dialogues about “some of the most difficult issues of our time”, as described by Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice.
According to the Vice-Chancellor:
“There are two purposes to these events. The first, is to establish whether there is any common ground between people who may seem to be far apart. If we are to make progress in legislation or in understanding the world we live in, we need to identify where we agree as well as where we disagree. The second, is to ensure discussions involve the widest range of viewpoints – that nothing, within the law, is taboo and that freedom of speech and of thought, and of academic debate, is upheld.”
The full recording can be viewed on the University's YouTube channel