Lord High Chancellor, 2003 – 2007 - Lord Falconer

Just a handful of countries allow assisted dying or euthanasia or both - most notably Switzerland and the Netherlands. It is a difficult and contentious area for policymakers. This week in the UK, the highly controversial Assisted Dying Bill has its second reading in parliament. Hardtalk speaks to Labour peer and former Attorney-General Lord Falconer, who has introduced the bill, and asks how he defends the right to die in the face of staunch opposition from the medical establishment, politicians and religious leaders?

(Photo: Labour peer and former Attorney-General Lord Falconer. Credit: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images)