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| Care Not Killing | |
|---|---|
| Name | Care Not Killing |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Type | Pressure group |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Focus | Opposition to assisted dying and euthanasia |
Care Not Killing is a United Kingdom–based campaign group formed to oppose legal changes permitting assisted dying, euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide. It brings together clinicians, faith groups, professional bodies, charities, and public figures to influence debates in the House of Commons, House of Lords, and devolved assemblies. The group has engaged with parliamentary committees, media outlets, and advocacy organizations across the UK and internationally.
Care Not Killing emerged in the mid-2000s amid renewed legislative and public debate over assisted dying in the United Kingdom, reacting to campaigns by supporters of legal change such as Dignity in Dying, the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Campaign, and movements inspired by cases associated with Tony Nicklinson, Debbie Purdy, and Alfie Evans. It engaged with parliamentary processes including debates on private members' bills introduced by MPs and peers such as Paul Goggins, Lord Joffe, and Rob Marris, and with inquiries by bodies like the House of Commons Justice Committee and the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics. Internationally, the group contrasted UK debates with developments in jurisdictions such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, and several U.S. states including Oregon and Washington.
Founding partners and early supporters included clinicians from the British Medical Association and Royal College of Physicians quarters, faith leaders from the Church of England, Roman Catholic Church figures, representatives from secular organizations such as the Salvation Army, and campaigning charities like Marie Curie and Macmillan Cancer Support in various public statements. Care Not Killing positioned itself alongside other UK actors including the Parliamentary Medical Committee and legal commentators referenced in cases before the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court.
Care Not Killing has campaigned against legislative measures that would permit assisted dying, focusing on bills in the House of Commons and House of Lords, plus motions in the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd Cymru. The group submitted evidence to committees chaired by figures such as Sir Alan Beith and Lord Falconer, and lobbied MPs including Norman Lamb and Sarah Wollaston who took prominent roles in related debates. It counters proposals promoted by activists aligned with Dignitas, the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, Humanists UK, All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Dying Well, and private members' bill sponsors by arguing for strengthening palliative care provision championed by organisations like Hospice UK, St Christopher’s Hospice, and the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute.
Policy positions advanced by Care Not Killing reference professional guidance from the General Medical Council, positions taken by the British Medical Association, ethical frameworks deliberated by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, and legal analysis from advocacy groups such as Liberty and Amnesty International when relevant to human rights discourse. The group engages in coalition activity with faith-based networks including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Methodist Church, the Evangelical Alliance, and Orthodox Christian constituencies, while also addressing secular commentators from think tanks like Policy Exchange and the Institute for Public Policy Research.
Care Not Killing frames its legal arguments around criminal statutes such as the Suicide Act 1961 and case law emanating from the European Court of Human Rights, the UK Supreme Court, and appellate courts. It engages with judgments involving individuals like Tony Nicklinson and Debbie Purdy, and with legal scholarship produced by academics at Oxford, Cambridge, King’s College London, and University College London. Ethical positions invoke statements from bioethics committees including the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the British Medical Association ethics committee, the Royal College of Physicians’ guidance, and academic journals such as the BMJ, Lancet, and Journal of Medical Ethics.
The campaign debates concepts discussed by philosophers and ethicists including Peter Singer, Tom Shakespeare, John Harris, and Philippa Foot in relation to autonomy, dignity, and best interests. It has submitted legal briefings to courts and parliamentary counsel, referencing international instruments and comparative law in jurisdictions such as Canada’s Supreme Court rulings, the Belgian Constitutional Court, and Dutch legislative frameworks.
Public reception of Care Not Killing has been mixed. The group has received support from religious institutions including the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, and Muslim Council of Britain, and endorsement from charities focused on palliative care such as Hospice UK and Compassion in Dying critics. It has been criticized by advocates from Dignity in Dying, Humanists UK, Compassion & Choices, and civil liberties organizations like Liberty, as well as by journalists at The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, and by broadcasters at the BBC and Sky News for its stance in high-profile cases.
Academic critics from universities including Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol have challenged Care Not Killing’s use of evidence, while think tanks such as the Adam Smith Institute and the Legatum Institute have published counterarguments. Campaigning organisations including 38 Degrees and Stonewall have at times weighed into related debates, and medical professionals active on social media and in professional fora have contested the group’s interpretation of clinical practice and patient autonomy.
Care Not Killing operates as a coalition of groups rather than a single charitable foundation, drawing on support from clinicians, faith groups, charities, and lay volunteers. Its public-facing activities are coordinated by a steering committee comprising representatives from member organisations, legal advisers, and communications personnel experienced with parliamentary lobbying, media relations, and grassroots mobilisation. The campaign has worked with public affairs firms, pro bono legal counsel, and parliamentary agents to prepare briefings for MPs and peers.
Funding sources reported in public statements and organisational filings have included donations from affiliated charities, contributions from faith-based organisations, gifts from private donors, and in-kind support from professional bodies. The group’s finances have been scrutinised by media outlets such as The Financial Times and NGOs monitoring campaign financing, and it has complied with Parliamentary standards and electoral commission guidance where relevant to reporting.
Key events involving Care Not Killing include major parliamentary votes on assisted dying bills in the House of Commons and House of Lords, legal interventions around cases such as R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice, public debates at venues including the Royal Society of Medicine and Westminster Hall, and coordinated media campaigns during high-profile cases like those of Alfie Evans and Charlie Gard. The campaign’s interventions have influenced amendments, contributed to parliamentary committee inquiries, and shaped public submissions to law reform commissions and devolved legislatures in Scotland and Wales.
The group’s impact is visible in sustained parliamentary scrutiny of assisted-dying proposals, ongoing professional debates within the British Medical Association and Royal Colleges, and in the broader public discourse shaped by coverage in national outlets including the BBC, The Guardian, and The Telegraph, as well as international commentary in outlets such as The New York Times and The Economist. Critics and supporters alike acknowledge that Care Not Killing remains a central actor in UK debates on end-of-life law and policy.
Category:Political organisations based in the United Kingdom