Lord Falconer to table assisted-dying Bill in
Lords
A PRIVATE Member's Bill will be tabled in the House of Lords in
the summer which would legalise assisted suicide in some
circumstances. The Bill will be tabled by Lord Falconer, who
chaired the Commission on Assisted Dying (
News,
Comment, 6 January 2012). It would allow relatives of
terminally ill people to travel with them to the Dignitas Clinic in
Switzerland, or to help them to take an overdose at home. Lord
Falconer spoke at a debate on assisted dying last year, organised
by the Christian Evidence Society (
News, 26 October).
New Church of Ireland bishops appointed
THE Revd Ferran Glenfield, Rector of Hillsborough Parish, in
Down, has been elected as the new Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin &
Ardagh, it was announced on Monday. Mr Glenfield succeeds the Rt
Revd Ken Clarke, who is now director of SAMS Ireland. Last month,
the Archdeacon of Meath & Kildare, the Ven. Leslie Stevenson,
was elected as the new Bishop of the largely rural united diocese.
After the announcement of his election, he said: "I am looking
forward to working in a rural diocese which I have come to know so
well."
Woman who harassed cleric is given warning
A WOMAN from North Walsham, Norfolk, Maureen Peace, was given a
12-month community order last month, banning her from contacting
the Rector of Spixworth, the Revd Keith Rengert. Miss Peace, who is
50, had breached a restraining order, and a previous community
order, banning her from contacting Mr Rengert (News, 7
September). She had pleaded guilty to harassing the cleric
after he conducted her mother's funeral, when he was Assistant
Curate of North Walsham and Edingthrope. Miss Peace was warned that
she would go to prison if further breaches occurred.