Do we have a right to death?

The tragic cases of Tony Nicklinson and Debbie Purdy have shown that many of us feel it is unjust that anyone should remain alive against their will. How can it be right to prosecute someone who helps a friend to die, when that is they want and cannot manage for themselves? Surely, if suicide is a right, then it cannot be wrong to prosecute someone who helps. In some lights, assisting with a suicide appears as a positive duty. Surely it is our duty to help those we love to dispose of their lives as they really want to. But is the matter really that simple? Does anyone really own their lives in that way? Does the present law really cause more suffering than it prevents? Wouldn't law made on the basis of some very hard cases turn out to be very bad? The questions don't just divide believers from atheists. They go the the heart of our ideas of what it means to be human, and how much we can or should trust other people to keep our best interests at heart. Monday's response George Pitcher: Rules inevitably cause injustice, but rules we must have – in this case against 'mercy killing' – in order to protect the vulnerable Wednesday's response Joel Joffe: A change in the law is needed. Assisted dying, but not voluntary euthanasia, should be allowed Thursday's response James Harris: Religious belief is associated with a belief in the sanctity of life, which makes constructive argument impossible Friday's response Onora O'Neill: I doubt whether we can draft assisted suicide legislation that is safe for human beings, with their full variety of situations