Review urged of assisted suicide law

IRISH laws relating to assisted suicide must be reviewed to make provision for a small minority of people in such physical distress they wish to end their lives, a human rights medical expert has warned.

Dr Adam McAuley, senior lecturer in medical and international human rights law in UCD, said people behind closed doors were taking their lives for medical reasons, sometimes with the aid of medical practitioners.

He said Irish society needed a broad and mature discussion on the issue.