Assisted dying bill set for historic Second Reading debate on 15th November
House of Lords to debate assisted dying for the first time in three years, as momentum for change builds in Westminster and across British Isles
Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill will have its Second Reading on Friday 15 November, Dignity in Dying can announce today (Friday 26 July). Members of the House of Lords will debate assisted dying for the first time in three years, with MPs last voting on proposals almost a decade ago. The Bill presents a robust, evidence-based proposal for law change that seeks to provide compassionate choice to dying people who urgently need it and introduce stronger protections for everyone in England and Wales.
The Bill proposes that terminally ill, mentally competent adults should be able to choose a safeguarded option of assisted dying, alongside access to high quality end-of-life care. The proposed law would be subject to strict safeguards that have been tried-and-tested in Australia, New Zealand and parts of the US, including that the dying person must meet strict eligibility criteria, be assessed by two independent doctors and self-administer the life-ending medication if their request is approved. If the Bill passes its Second Reading, it will go to Committee Stage where the Bill will be subjected to line-by-line scrutiny by Peers.
This comes after the Prime Minister this month “doubled down” on his commitment to making time for an assisted dying bill to be debated and for a free vote – a promise he made personally to Dame Esther Rantzen earlier this year.
It follows Tuesday’s historic landslide victory for compassion as parliamentarians in the Isle of Man voted assisted dying through the House of Keys by an overwhelming majority at its Third Reading. This vote is the furthest an assisted dying bill has ever reached in the British Isles. Following further debate by the Upper House (Legislative Council), who are unable to block the bill’s progress, this assisted dying law could receive Royal Assent and begin its implementation as soon as next year. Assisted dying proposals are also progressing in the parliaments of Jersey and Scotland.
Lord Falconer of Thoroton said:
“Assisted dying is the UK’s next great social reform. The current blanket ban is a mess and offers no compassion or protection to those at the end of their lives. The public has been waiting long enough for us to reform this law and it is urgently time for compassion and change; whether through my Bill or another.
“Not only has the political context changed dramatically since the last time the House of Lords debated assisted dying in 2021, and beyond recognition since my own previous attempt a decade ago, but this is a new and improved Bill. It is now even more robust than previous propositions, having listened carefully to opponents of assisted dying and adopted proposals from legislation in other jurisdictions in the British Isles and elsewhere in the world. As a result, this Bill now has additional safeguards and introduced new criminal offences to ensure that the process is as safe as possible and to protect against any possibility of coercion. My Bill also addresses colleagues’ concerns about widening eligibility criteria by explicitly preventing a person from becoming eligible for assisted dying solely because they are living with a disability or with a mental illness. This Bill is safer and more robust than any previous proposal in Westminster.”
Prior to the General Election, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens all made manifesto commitments on assisted dying, with Sir Keir Starmer making a personal pledge to make time available for debate. During the election period, parliamentary candidates across the country received over 66,400 emails from members of the public declaring ‘Dignity Has My Vote’ and asking how would-be MPs would vote on a future assisted dying bill. The issue was also raised in election hustings across the country, with strong support from across the political spectrum. Three-quarters of the British public support the legalisation of assisted dying, with support high across all demographic and voting intentions.
Lord Falconer added:
“I have asked for the Second Reading debate to take place in November so that colleagues in the House of Commons can, if they wish, hold their own debate and vote on Second Reading in advance of the House of Lords. We have debated this issue and progressed legislation twice in the last ten years, while the Commons have only done so once before and the political context and international progress has changed substantially in that time. I know there are many MPs eager to bring assisted dying proposals forward if they are successful in the ballot and I am eagerly looking forward to working with them as we seek to bring in compassionate, safe legislation just as legislators in the USA, Australia and New Zealand have done.”
An assisted dying bill was last debated in the House of Lords in 2021, introduced by crossbench peer and Honorary President of Dignity in Dying Baroness Meacher. The Bill received high support amongst peers and the public at its Second Reading but was not given further time for debate. Since then, assisted dying bills have been introduced to the Parliaments of Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man, and now all Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory have legalised assisted dying. They join New Zealand, almost a dozen US states, and countries across Europe, North and South America.
Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said:
“The time has come for safe, compassionate law change on assisted dying across the British Isles. Following the historic vote in the Isle of Man this week and the progress being made in Scotland, Jersey and, now, Westminster, we are a significant step closer to providing choice for dying people who urgently need it, while introducing greater protection for us all.
“The British public has long been calling for change and dying people simply do not have time to wait. The conversation has rightly shifted from the ‘whether’ to the ‘how’ and it’s now critical that Parliamentarians have an opportunity to consider this issue fully and fairly. We have the advantage of learning from legislation in places like Australia and New Zealand to advance a safe, workable UK model for law change based on evidence and grounded in compassion. For our dying citizens and for us all, we urgently need an assisted dying law we can be proud of.”
*ENDS*
For more information or interview requests, please email Molly Pike, Senior Media and Campaigns Officer at Dignity in Dying, molly.pike@dignityindying.org.uk, or call 07855209809.
