October 15th 2024.
After much anticipation, the Assisted Dying Bill will finally be presented to Parliament this week. This marks its return to the House of Commons, where it will be formally introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. The bill has been a highly controversial and emotional topic, and its debate in November will be the first time it is voted on in the Commons in almost a decade.
If passed, the bill would grant terminally ill individuals in England and Wales the right to choose to end their own life. This will be a free vote for MPs, meaning they are not bound to vote according to their party's stance. As the bill is set to be put to Parliament next month, here is everything you need to know about it.
The Assisted Dying Bill aims to give terminally ill people the option to end their life. However, the language used to describe this practice varies depending on who you ask. Pro-change campaigners, such as Dignity in Dying, refer to it as assisted dying and argue that it allows individuals with a terminal condition to have control over their death if they feel their suffering has become unbearable.
On the other hand, the campaign group Care Not Killing uses terms like 'assisted suicide' and 'euthanasia' to describe this practice. They believe that the focus should be on promoting better palliative care instead of changing the law. They also raise concerns that legalizing assisted dying could put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives, and argue that the disabled, elderly, sick, or depressed could be at risk.
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP, will be introducing the bill to Parliament. Currently, assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. In Scotland, although it is not a specific criminal offence, assisting someone's death can result in murder charges or other offences.
At Westminster, the bill has faced numerous challenges. However, with the backing of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has promised to allow a vote on legalizing assisted dying if his party wins the general election, Leadbeater is determined to push it forward. She will formally introduce the bill on Wednesday, and the first vote is expected to take place on November 29, following a parliamentary debate.
If the bill passes the first stage in the Commons, it will then go through the committee stage, where MPs can propose amendments. After further scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it has the potential to become a law. However, it only applies to England and Wales, and the rest of the UK will have different laws and regulations.
In Scotland, Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has introduced a similar bill that will allow people with a terminal illness to receive assistance in ending their life. This is the third attempt to make assisted dying legal in Scotland after two previous bills were rejected. In Northern Ireland, any changes to the law would have to be approved by the devolved Assembly at Stormont.
In May, Jersey's parliament voted in favor of creating laws to establish an assisted dying service for terminally ill individuals on the island. If the law is approved, it could come into effect in spring 2027. The Isle of Man also passed a third reading of an Assisted Dying Bill in July, which is set to be further debated later this month. Campaigners believe that if the bill receives royal assent next year, it could make assisted dying available to eligible Manx residents by 2027.
It has been almost a decade since the issue of assisted dying was voted on at Westminster. In 2015, an Assisted Dying Bill was rejected by MPs, which would have allowed some terminally ill adults to request medical assistance to end their life. In the 2021/2022 session, there was a bill proposed in the House of Lords, which reached a second reading. Additionally, a Westminster Hall debate on assisted dying took place in July 2022, but the issue has not been fully discussed in parliament since 2015.
Although MPs are expected to vote on the bill next month, there is no guarantee that it will happen. These types of bills, called private member's bills, are considered during Friday sittings, with a limited time frame from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. If the debate is still ongoing at 2:30 pm, it is adjourned, and the bill falls to the bottom of the list, making it unlikely to progress any further.
However, there is a possibility that a closure motion could be moved to end the debate and force a vote. This can happen at any time during the proceedings, but it is more likely to occur around 1 pm on Friday sittings. If the motion is approved, the House then votes on whether to give the bill a second reading. If it is rejected, the debate continues, and the bill is unlikely to make any progress.
Public opinion on assisted dying is divided. A recent study by the Policy Institute and the Complex Life and Death Decisions group at King's College London revealed that almost two-thirds of people in England and Wales support legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill adults in the next five years. However, some of those in favor mentioned that their opinion could change if they felt someone was pressured into choosing an assisted death or if they had no access to proper care. Overall, the poll showed that 63% of people want assisted dying to be legalized in the next five years.
In a Guardian op-ed, Kim Leadbeater shared her thoughts on the issue, saying that she had carefully considered the matter and acknowledged its emotive nature. She also recognized that discussing death is not something we are comfortable with in this country. However, she believes that we all want the best for our loved ones as they reach the end of their lives. She also mentioned that evidence from other countries that have legalized assisted dying shows that terminally ill individuals find comfort in knowing they have the right to make their own choice, even if they ultimately decide not to exercise it.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
