How assisted dying laws across the UK could change
On Friday, MPs in Westminster have another chance to consider a bill which could legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.
In Scotland, a separate assisted dying bill has received the initial backing of MSPs and will now be looked at in more detail.
What is the proposed law on assisted dying in England and Wales?
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, external was introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.
It proposes letting terminally ill people end their life if they:
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are over 18, live in England or Wales, and have been registered with a GP for at least 12 months
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have the mental capacity to make the choice and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure
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be expected to die within six months
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make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, about their wish to die
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satisfy two independent doctors that they are eligible – with at least seven days between each assessment
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Once an application has been approved, the patient would have to wait 14 days before proceeding.
A doctor would prepare the substance being used to end the patient’s life, but the person would take it themselves.
The bill defines the co-ordinating doctor as a registered medical practitioner with “training, qualifications and experience” at a level to be specified by the health secretary. It does not say which drug would be used.
It would be illegal to coerce someone into declaring they want to end their life, with a possible 14-year prison sentence.
A majority of MPs backed the bill in November 2024.
How has the Leadbeater bill changed since MPs first voted?
A committee of 23 MPs – including 14 supporters and nine opponents – has gone through the proposed legislation line by line. It held public hearings and took evidence from experts.
Under the original proposals, a High Court judge would have to approve each request to end a life.
However, the committee accepted Leadbeater’s suggestion that a three-person panel comprising a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker should oversee applications instead.
Read More: How assisted dying laws across the UK could change
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