Mr. Tom Curran:

To answer the question quickly, I would base it on the Oregon model. The Deputy said it has been extended to psychiatric illnesses. It is recognised by the medical profession that having a psychiatric illness does not necessarily mean a person is incapable of making a rational decision. Is psychological pain any less difficult to tolerate than physical pain? To me, it is not. Once a person can make a rational decision and wants to end his or her pain, why can he or she not have that choice? The vulnerability comes in when a person is incapable of making a rational decision and that is what we need to protect. That is not happening in Oregon. It is rational people with psychological problems who are making these decisions. They are assessed very carefully. Canada brought in a very similar regime. It is a little bit tighter than the Oregon model so maybe we should base it on the Canadian rule. Psychological pain is no less tolerable.