Assisted Dying: What is the law as bill goes before Parliament

A debate on the bill next month will mark the first time the controversial issue has been voted on in the Commons in almost a decade.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned of a “slippery slope” ahead of an assisted dying bill being officially introduced to Parliament.

Justin Welby told the BBC on Tuesday: “I think this approach is both dangerous and sets us in a direction which is even more dangerous, and in every other place where it’s been done, has led to a slippery slope.”

This is everything you need to know about the bill.

What is assisted dying?

This, and the language used, varies depending on who you ask.

Pro-change campaigners Dignity in Dying say that assisted dying allows a person with a terminal condition the choice to control their death if they decide their suffering is unbearable.

They argue that, along with good care, dying people who are terminally ill and mentally competent adults deserve the choice to control the timing and manner of their death.

Dame Esther Rantzen has made a powerful case for the legalisation of assisted dying, previously calling on the public to contact their MPs as related legislation is considered in the House of Commons for the first time in nearly a decade.

The Childline founder, now grappling with stage four lung cancer, is taking action by writing to her own MP, explaining her personal experiences with terminal illness and advocating for individuals to have autonomy over their lives' final chapter.

But the campaign group Care Not Killing uses the terms “assisted suicide” and “euthanasia”, and argues that the focus should be on “promoting more and better palliative care” rather than any law change.

Campaigner Liz Carr has insisted that legalising assisted dying would be a country-defining moment but there is no safe way to change the law while guaranteeing the protection of disabled and elderly people. (Image: JONATHAN BRADY/PA)

They say legalising assisted dying could “place pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden upon others” and argue the disabled, elderly, sick or depressed could be especially at risk.

What is the current law?

Assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

In Scotland, it is not a specific criminal offence but assisting the death of someone can leave a person open to being charged with murder or other offences.

What is happening at Westminster?

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had said he was “committed” to allowing a vote on legalising assisted dying should his party win the general election, and now one of his MPs is bringing forward a bill.

On Wednesday, Kim Leadbeater will formally introduce her bill to give choice at the end of life for the terminally ill.

A debate and first vote are expected to take place on November 29.

If the bill – the formal title of which will be announced on Wednesday – passes the first stage in the Commons, it will go to committee stage where MPs can table amendments, before facing further scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Ms Leadbeater’s bill applies only to England and Wales.

Has the issue been voted on at Westminster before?

Not for almost a decade. An Assisted Dying Bill, which would have allowed some terminally ill adults to ask for medical help to end their life, went before the Commons in 2015 and was rejected by MPs.

There was also a Bill proposed in the House of Lords during the 2021/2022 session which reached a second reading in the chamber, while a Westminster Hall debate on assisted dying took place in July 2022.

What is happening in Scotland?

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur published a Bill in March at Holyrood that, if passed, will allow people living in Scotland with a terminal illness to be given help to end their life.

It is the third attempt to make assisted dying legal in Scotland after two bills were previously voted down.

What are the views of the public?

This varies. Research by the Policy Institute and the Complex Life and Death Decisions group at King’s College London (KCL) in September suggested almost two-thirds of people in England and Wales want assisted dying to be legalised for terminally ill adults in the next five years.

But it showed the changeable nature of some people’s views, with some of those voicing support saying they could change their minds if they felt someone had been pressured into choosing an assisted death or had made the choice due to lack of access to care.

Overall, the polling found a fifth (20%) of people said they do not want assisted dying to be legalised in the next five years, while 63% said they do.

Campaigners from Care Not Killing said this polling showed public support for what they term “assisted suicide” had lessened in the past decade and highlighted the statistics around those who are concerned about people feeling pressure to end their lives.