A new proposal to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales was introduced in the UK Parliament on Wednesday, prompting both support and opposition from various groups, including senior church leaders and disability rights activists.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater put forward the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which will allow lawmakers in the House of Commons a free vote. This means MPs can vote based on their conscience rather than following party lines. While the full details of the bill have yet to be published, sources familiar with the proposal said it would require a judge and two doctors to approve a patient’s request to die. The bill would apply only to patients with a life expectancy of six to 12 months.
Supporters and opponents of the legislation gathered outside Parliament, where a similar bill was last debated—and defeated—in 2015. Proponents argue the bill would offer terminally ill individuals more control over their end-of-life choices, while opponents raise concerns about potential risks and ethical implications.
Anil Douglas, 39, spoke in favour of the bill, sharing the story of his father’s lonely and isolated death by suicide. He believes an assisted dying law could have provided his father with “safety” and “dignity” in his final moments. “He was forced to take very drastic action behind closed doors and couldn’t discuss his decision with any of us that loved him,” Douglas said.
Currently, assisted suicide is illegal in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. In Scotland, while not a specific criminal offence, it can still result in other charges such as murder. Earlier this year, a separate bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament to make assisted dying legal.
Leadbeater, defending her bill, pointed to shifting public opinion in favour of assisted dying, noting that it has already been legalised in several European countries. She promised “very robust, very secure safeguards” to prevent misuse but emphasised the importance of giving terminally ill patients more choice at the end of their lives. “At the heart of this is the fact that at the moment, people are taking their lives in really difficult circumstances, and that needs to change,” she said.
However, opposition is strong, particularly from religious and disability rights groups. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the UK’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby have both voiced concerns. Welby warned that the bill could lead to a “dangerous slippery slope” where the law is expanded beyond terminally ill patients, as seen in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Alistair Thompson, from anti-euthanasia group Care Not Killing, echoed these fears, stating, “Introducing an assisted suicide bill would put a lot of people under pressure to end their lives prematurely.”
MPs will debate and vote on the bill on November 29. Its outcome remains uncertain, as the proposal is a private member’s bill and not part of the government’s legislative agenda.
