What is Assisted Death?

This and the language used vary depending on who you ask.

Pro-change campaigners Dignity in Dying say assisted dying offers a terminally ill person the option to control their death if they decide their suffering is intolerable.

In addition to good care, they argue that terminally ill people and mentally competent adults who are dying deserve the option to control the timing and manner of their deaths.

But campaign group Care Not Killing uses the terms ‘assisted suicide’ and ‘euthanasia’ to refer to the practice and argues the focus should be on ‘promoting more and better palliative care’ rather than changing the law.

The group argues that legalizing assisted dying ‘could put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of creating a financial, emotional or caring burden on others’, and that people who are disabled, elderly, ill or depressed may be particularly at risk.

What is the current law?

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

In Scotland, this is not a specific crime, but assisting in the death of someone can leave someone open to being charged with murder or other offences.

What’s going on in Westminster?

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he is ‘determined’ to allow a vote on legalizing assisted dying if his party wins the general election, and now Kim Leadbeater is putting forward the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

If the bill passes the first stage in the House of Commons, it will go to the committee stage, where MPs can propose amendments, before facing further scrutiny and votes in both the Commons and the House of Lords.

Sir Keir, who has previously backed assisted dying, said he would not pressure MPs on the issue, on which the government has promised to remain impartial.

Asked if he would vote in favor of the legislation, he said: ‘Look, this will be a free vote, and I mean it. Each MP will decide for himself how he wants to vote.

‘I will not put any pressure on Labor MPs. Like me, they will make their own decisions.

‘Of course, a lot will depend on the details and we need to get the balance right, but I have always argued that appropriate precautions must be taken.’

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

What about the rest of the UK?

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has published a bill that, if passed, would allow people living with a terminal illness in Scotland to be given help to end their lives.

This is the third attempt to make assisted dying legal in Scotland after two previous bills were rejected.

Meanwhile, any move to legalize assisted dying in Northern Ireland would need to be approved by politicians in the devolved Parliament at Stormont.

In May, Jersey’s parliament voted in favor of legislation to establish an assisted dying service for terminally ill patients on the island, which, if approved, could come into force in spring 2027 at the earliest.

The Isle of Man’s Assisted Dying Bill passed its third reading in July and will be debated further later this month. Campaigners say assisted dying could be available to eligible Manx residents from 2027 if the bill receives royal assent next year. .

Who will be eligible for the new bill?

Under the new law, only terminally ill adults with less than six months to live who have a definite desire to end their lives will be able to benefit from this right.

The bill, published Monday night, consists of almost 40 pages, with about 20 pages of explanatory notes.

Ms Leadbetter said a new law would not come into force for another two to three years and ‘there will be further consultation to make sure we get it right’.

He acknowledged it would be ‘heartbreaking’ for people and families for whom change could come too late.

The private member’s bill would make it illegal for someone to persuade a person to declare that they want to end their life by fraud, coercion or coercion, or to persuade someone to die by self-administering drugs.

Anyone found guilty of doing so faces a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Ms Leadbeater said: ‘There are layers of safeguards and safeguards throughout the process and I believe they will probably make it the most robust legislation in the world.’

It is thought that the shortest period from the first declaration to the end of life will be around one month.

Terminally ill patients who have been resident in England and Wales for at least 12 months will have to take prescribed medicines themselves.

Has this issue been voted on at Westminster before?

Not for almost a decade. The Assisted Dying Bill, which would allow some terminally ill adults to seek medical help to end their lives, was introduced to the House of Commons in 2015 and rejected by MPs.

There was also a bill proposed in the House of Lords during the 2021/2022 session that received a second reading in parliament, while a debate on assisted dying took place in Westminster Hall in July 2022.

Are MPs guaranteed to vote on the bill next month?

Charity bills like this are known as private member bills (PMBs) and are considered in Friday sessions. The time available to consider these is from 9.30am to 2.30pm.

If debate is still ongoing at 2.30pm, it is adjourned and the bill falls to the bottom of the list, meaning it is unlikely to make further progress.

A motion to close may be made to reduce debate and force a vote. It can be moved at any time during operations.

An MP who wants to introduce such a motion in Friday sessions usually does so around 13:00. If approved, the Parliament will decide whether to read the bill a second time.

If rejected, the Parliament will continue to debate and the bill will be unlikely to advance.

What are the public’s opinions?

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

But this showed the variable nature of some people’s views; Some of those in support said they might change their minds if they felt someone was being forced to choose assisted death or made the choice because of a lack of access to care.