A most flawed process indeed

[Lateralthinking1]

S-A -This is a good, ie difficult to answer, question. One problem with the analogy is that it is an analogy with those people who do not have the mental capabilities to decide for themselves. If you go down the road of saying that animals and humans must be treated equally, then you are effectively arguing for assisted suicide in cases of dementia. And that isn't being proposed.

I doubt too if animals could be said to have a relationship with the state or private enterprise. If there is one, it is vague at best. They are rarely kept alive with cost to the taxpayer, they don't leave a will, and their health is not ordinarily made worse because of the impacts of a spouse, irresponsible encouragement by the media or indeed the policies of George Osborne.

John Skelton - I don't say that it is a slippery slope but rather a further egg in the basket. Possibly the one that splits the basket into pieces, emotive as it is. My continuity of argument is in respect of cultural signals that emphasise rights based on drives over responsibilities to help sustain. I find that society doesn't have the right balance. Dangerous driving is one egg. Manufacturing shoot-em-ups is another. There are many other examples. Africa moves in one direction and we in the western world the other.

[doversoul1]

S-A
I’d have paid any amount of fees to have my hamster, for which I’d paid some £2.50, put down had it been necessary, let alone my cats. But I think the opposing argument will be ‘but look what happen to all those unwanted animals. They never get asked and never have a chance.’ I don’t know the answer to that. I think this is (vaguely) where Mr GG’s argument comes in (Sorry, Mr GG if I am wrong).

[Serial_Apologist]

S-A
I’d have paid any amount of fees to have my hamster, for which I’d paid some £2.50, put down had it been necessary, let alone my cats. But I think the opposing argument will be ‘but look what happen to all those unwanted animals. They never get asked and never have a chance.’ I don’t know the answer to that. I think this is (vaguely) where Mr GG’s argument comes in (Sorry, Mr GG if I am wrong).

Yes doversoul: we're told the British so much prefer their pets to other human beings, (or is it the English?); yet, never have the numbers of cases of abandoned animals (especially dogs, often unwanted Christmas presents), some ending up in such sanctuaries as Battersea Dogs Home, been higher than recently, it seems.

In the human realm I have yet to think of assisted suicide, enacted as recommended by the commission, in terms other than as as an act of mercy, rather than something resorted to because the person is, or has been made to feel, "in the way"; and I feel sure provision could be made in the law ensuring severe action be taken against those enacting or obtaining use of assisted suicide for latter purposes, in the same way as in cases of cruelty to animals.

[aeolium]

In the human realm I have yet to think of assisted suicide, enacted as recommended by the commission, in terms other than as as an act of mercy, rather than something resorted to because the person is, or has been made to feel, "in the way"; and I feel sure provision could be made in the law ensuring severe action be taken against those enacting or obtaining use of assisted suicide for latter purposes, in the same way as in cases of cruelty to animals.

If you look at the provisions of the DPP's clarification (link posted above) of guidelines on prosecution for the offence of assisting suicide, you might think that they formed at least the basis for safeguards in any UK assisted suicide law, though of course the whole medical involvement in the suicide is not considered there and those safeguards would need to be incorporated. Also, to try and preserve some kind of discouragement, the DPP reserves the discretion to prosecute notwithstanding the guidelines (though since no prosecutions have taken place re the Dignitas service, and the prospect of success is slim, it is doubtful whether that discretion has any real force).