The government’s voluntary euthanasia proposals could “harm the most vulnerable, erode medical ethics, and reshape the social fabric in dangerous ways”, according to the Christian Life Community (CLC). In a statement Friday, the CLC raised several concerns in response to the government’s consultation on Assisted Voluntary Euthanasia (AVE), urging authorities to instead “fully implement” the National Palliative Care Strategy 2025–2035. Claiming to cite evidence showing that euthanasia legislation tended to “expand in scope” once implemented, the group warned it might be extended to those with “chronic conditions, mental health struggles, or even those experiencing existential distress”. Announcing the consultation last month, Reforms Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg said no requests for voluntary euthanasia would be allowed on the basis of mental health, disability or old age. The CLC highlighted a “lack of clear definitions” in the proposals, warning that “failing to distinguish between assisted suicide, euthanasia, and legitimate end-of-life practices such as palliative sedation or the withdrawal of futile treatment… introduces confusion into an already delicate area”. “The suggestion that assisted deaths be registered as ‘natural’ further complicates matters, raising questions around transparency, accountability, and even the implications for insurance and legal responsibility,” the group said. Describing the safeguards in the proposals as “inadequate and poorly defined”, the CLC said there was “no clear protocol for assessing mental competence, especially in patients suffering from depression, anxiety, or cognitive decline”. The group also warned there was “no mention of a credible mechanism to ensure that a patient’s request is free of subtle coercion, internalised pressure, or external suggestion”. It said that allowing patients to exclude family members from the decision-making process “may leave loved ones devastated”, while warning financial considerations could lead some to consider the option as a “duty to die”. The proposals risk “distorting” the medical profession, “placing healthcare professionals in the role of agents of death”, the CLC said, noting that while conscientious objection was secured in the proposals, “the requirement to refer patients… amounts to indirect participation”. The group said the proposals also ran counter to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. It urged the government to “give legal standing and fully implement the National Palliative Care Strategy 2025–2035”, stressing that addressing such care requires “not only clinical support but also companionship, counselling, and spiritual accompaniment”. The full position paper may be found here.