Assisted Dying

Recriminations continue over failure to bring in new laws allowing assisted dying for terminally ill people in England and WalesAmid the failure of an attempt to bring in new laws allowing assisted dying for terminally ill people with less than six months to live, campaigners on both sides of the debate vented their anger and frustration with the opposing side.Its supporters, including terminally ill people, blamed the failure of the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill, which passed in the House of Commons, on sabotage by a handful of unelected peers. Continue reading...

Latest data shows 209 cases recorded as assisted dying referred to CPS by police between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 31 this yearThirteen cases of suspected assisted dying are being considered by prosecutors in England and Wales, according to the latest data.Encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person is against the law in England and Wales, under the Suicide Act 1961.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Kim Leadbeater joins protest against delaying of bill to allow assisted dying in the UK and says people are ‘extremely angry’The House of Lords “signed its own death warrant” over its stalling of the UK assisted dying bill, MP Kim Leadbeater said on Friday as she joined more than a dozen terminally ill and bereaved people in protest outside parliament.Marking the second anniversary of the death at Dignitas of prominent assisted dying campaigner Paola Marra, 53, Leadbeater, the MP for Spen Valley whose private members teminally ill adults (end of life) bill for England and Wales looks set to run out of time, said many MPs, who had already voted by a majority to pass the bill, were “angry and upset” by the addition of about 1,200 amendments in the Lords, which will probably see the bill fall without a vote. Continue reading...

On second anniversary of his sister ending her life at Dignitas, Tony Marra will protest outside parliament with other campaignersTwo years after Paola Marra, on the eve of her death, appealed to politicians to change the law on assisted dying, the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill is stuck in the House of Lords. For her brother, the second anniversary of her death will be spent protesting outside parliament.Marra died aged 53 on 20 March 2024. She documented her solo journey from north London to Dignitas in Switzerland in photographs and a short film by the photographer Rankin, released posthumously, as well as in a powerful interview with the Guardian. Continue reading...

PM said to be wary of opening up new divisions among Labour MPs by giving bill time in next session of parliamentSenior ministers believe Keir Starmer will not intervene to give the assisted dying bill further time in the next session of parliament as he is wary of opening up new divisions among Labour MPs.The bill, which was passed by the Commons, is now certain to be blocked in the House of Lords without ever reaching a vote because of the large number of amendments its opponents have tabled and debated. Continue reading...

Just three of Labour’s 20 MSPs in Holyrood voted for bill, despite support for legislation in House of CommonsSupporters of Scotland’s assisted dying bill said they are frustrated a significant majority of Labour MSPs voted against the proposals, despite Labour’s substantial support for the measure at Westminster.The Scottish bill was defeated in a late night free vote at Holyrood on Tuesday, five years after it was first proposed and a year after it was first tabled, by a larger than expected 12-vote margin. Continue reading...

MSPs reject bill after concerted campaign to block it and despite amendments intended to placate criticsThe Scottish parliament has voted against legalising assisted dying after critics and religious groups led a concerted campaign to block the measures.MSPs voted 69 to 57 to reject the proposals in a late night vote on Tuesday, despite a series of last-minute amendments designed to placate critics of the private member’s bill. Continue reading...

Letter sent to Starmer claims ‘small number of peers have been using procedural tactics’ to stymie its progressMore than 100 Labour MPs have called on Keir Starmer to stop the House of Lords from blocking the assisted dying bill and give it more time to return to the Commons, with the legislation now certain to fall owing to lack of time.The private member’s bill, sponsored by Labour’s Kim Leadbeater, will fall when the parliamentary session comes to an end in May because peers have used multiple amendments and lengthy debates to prevent it from being put to a vote. Continue reading...