Do We Have The Right To Die? With Lady Hale and Rowan Williams (Part Two)

The second part of Intelligence Squared's live debate on assisted dying features former Supreme Court President Lady Hale and former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams confronting a moral and legal paradox: how to balance individual autonomy with societal vulnerability. A central tension emerges around the concept of 'unbearable' suffering—subjective, deeply personal, and impossible to objectively measure. Williams recounts a haunting real-life story of a priest helping a dying man choose death, underscoring the intimate, ethical weight of such decisions. Yet both speakers acknowledge the slippery slope: if we allow assisted dying for severe illness, how do we prevent it from being pressured by poverty, social isolation, or mental distress? The discussion reveals a chilling reality—disadvantaged communities in Canada and Oregon show disproportionate use of MAID, not due to medical criteria alone, but because of systemic neglect. A powerful personal testimony from a woman who helped her husband die in Switzerland—then later learned she had motor neurone disease—exposes the absurdity of a law that criminalizes compassion. She asks: if we can’t die with dignity at home, why should we be forced into secrecy, risk, or even suicide? The episode doesn’t resolve the conflict but reframes it: the real question isn’t just about dying well, but about whether our society is built to support dignity in life for all.