(The Lion) — Author J.K. Rowling has announced she no longer supports the legalization of assisted suicide, citing concerns about the risks of coercion and the message such laws send to vulnerable people.
Her comments come as the U.K.’s House of Lords debates the Assisted Dying Bill, which would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to request physician-assisted death under limited conditions.
“I used to believe in assisted dying,” Rowling wrote in a post on X. “I no longer do, largely because I’m married to a doctor who opened my eyes to the possibilities of coercion of sick or vulnerable people.”
Her husband, Dr. Neil Murray, is a practicing physician who she says helped her understand the potential dangers.
Rowling first privately raised doubts about the practice last year but has become more vocal in recent weeks, reposting statements from others opposed to the measure, according to Christian Action Research and Education (CARE).
One post she shared was from Christian ethicist Dr. Calum Miller, who recalled seeing “Down Syndrome” listed as the reason for a Do Not Resuscitate order.
“When you’ve worked in a hospital and seen that … you begin to realize why introducing a State Suicide Service is a terrible idea,” Miller wrote.
Critics of assisted suicide argue the practice sends a harmful message that the elderly, disabled and chronically ill are burdens.
In U.S. states where it is legal, many patients cite fear of being a burden as a main reason for seeking it. In Oregon, 54% of patients who chose assisted suicide in 2021 gave that reason. In Washington, the figure was 59% in 2022, according to CARE.
Financial incentives also raise red flags. A U.K. government report earlier this year estimated the NHS could save nearly £60 million annually if assisted suicide became legal.
CARE and other critics condemned the report, arguing it places cost savings over care.
The Trump administration recently weighed in, calling the U.K. proposal “state-subsidized suicide” and urging lawmakers to reject it.
“The western world should stand for life, vitality, and hope over surrender and death,” the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor posted on X.
Canada legalized assisted suicide in 2016. By 2022, it had become the nation’s fifth-leading cause of death, with more than 13,000 cases that year.
Eleven U.S. states also allow the practice, and some have loosened restrictions since adopting it.
