British actor and disability rights activist Liz Carr stars in a new BBC documentary titled Better Off Dead?, in which she explores the topic of assisted dying and why she believes it should not be legalised.
We may be used to seeing Liz Carr in dramas such as Silent Witness, Good Omens or The Witcher, but now she’s stepping away from the spotlight to pursue her greatest passion – debating why she believes we shouldn’t legalise assisted suicide. As a long-term campaigner against that change, Liz fears disabled lives will be put at risk if the law is altered.
The debate on assisted dying in the UK
Whether we call it assisted dying, assisted suicide or euthanasia, the practice of a medical professional assisting a person to end their life, has long provoked debate.
A recent poll found that 73% of Britons support doctor-assisted suicide for the terminally ill* but Liz and many other disabled people fear their lives will be put at risk if it is legalised.
Liz – a long-term campaigner against a change in the law – observes that disabled people are rarely consulted about the issue.
Liz says: “Too many disabled people will have had the experience of someone, often a complete stranger, telling them, ‘If I was like you, I’d rather be dead’. Putting such low value on our lives has been reported in medical settings when disabled and older people have ‘do not resuscitate’ orders placed on their medical notes without their consent. This documentary is about challenging the assumptions behind these actions and shining a light on the many grey areas in this often one-sided debate.”
This year, a House of Commons Select Committee has for the first time launched an enquiry into the legalisation of assisted suicide, with its findings set to influence future government policy.
Liz Carr’s views on assisted suicide
Concerned that any change in the law sends the message that the lives of disabled and marginalised people are less valuable, Liz takes an in-depth look at the issue, speaking to people from all sides of the debate.
Travelling to Canada, Liz explores the repercussions of some of the most permissive assisted suicide laws in the world. Here Liz is confronted with a law that can end the lives of not just the terminally ill, but people who are disabled, and those who are offered a medically assisted death as a ‘way out’ of social deprivation.
Back in the UK, Liz meets influential voices calling for a change in the law such as Labour peer Lord Falconer and Sunday Times columnist Melanie Reid. She also meets fellow campaigners fighting to retain the status quo; including disabled peer Baroness Jane Campbell, who had a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ order placed on her for a routine illness without consent.
In a society where disabled people are often told they’re ‘better off dead’ than disabled, Liz asks: “Should we really be giving more power to end that group of people’s lives?”
“I’m pro-choice, an atheist, a rights campaigner and assisted suicide scares me. I want everyone to have a good death and through this documentary, I hope to show why I’m unconvinced that any type of ‘assisted dying’ is the answer to this.”
Kate Phillips, Director of Unscripted, says: “Factual at the BBC is in great shape, with recent series such as Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland and Parole as well as singles such as Rose Ayling Ellis’s film on the deaf community or Matt Willis on addiction winning widespread acclaim.
We want to continue bringing audiences impactful new films that inspire debate and bring fresh new perspectives on important issues and I’m really pleased that Liz Carr is presenting this new film, sharing her own unique insight into the difficult debate around assisted suicide.”
Why the title ‘Better Off Dead?’?
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press at a Q&A, Liz explained more about the title of the documentary and said: “I mean, let’s not forget the question mark at the end. You could leave [it] off, to be fair, but it was obviously a provocation to consider.
“And I think the fact, you know, when I’ve talked about as a disabled woman, having people say that, to me, just a trip in a cab. Why do we think that?”
“Why is it that to be like me, to be disabled or even older, terrifies us so much? Because that’s at the core of this. And so, better off dead… I want you to open the show and go, ‘If we see one group of people, some negative gearing, it’s not safe to legalise assisted suicide, because people already think that we almost deserve it.'”
Alternative thoughts on assisted dying
Our editor Emma Purcell watched Better Off Dead? and shared her thoughts on assited dying on Instagram:
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Better Off Dead? is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
What are your views on assisted dying? Are you for or against it being legalised in the UK? Share your thoughts in the comments box, on social media or contact us to share your personal story.