Supporters advance end-of-life choice legislation, encountering remaining challenges
In a passionate and emotional debate spanning nearly six hours over two days, the House of Lords deliberated on the Assisted Dying Bill, a proposed legislation that could change the end-of-life choices for terminally ill adults in England and Wales.
Former Tory prime minister Theresa May, along with Lord Chris Patten, former Tory chairman, Hong Kong governor, and Oxford University chancellor, were among those who opposed the bill. May, referring to it as a 'licence to kill' and an 'assisted suicide bill', expressed her concerns about the potential consequences of the legislation. Patten, on the other hand, labelled the bill an 'unholy legislative mess' that could lead to death becoming the 'default solution to perceived suffering'.
Approximately 200 peers spoke during the debate, with around 50 in favour and more than 100 against, with a handful remaining neutral. The bill's sponsor in the Lords, Charlie Falconer, believes that elected MPs in the Commons should have the final decision on the bill, not unelected peers.
A significant presence during the debate was a group of bishops, who sat in their full robes. While some, like Lord Carey, advocated for the bill's passage, others, such as Lord Deben, formerly John Gummer and an ex-member of the Church of England synod, opposed it, stating that it empowers the state to kill.
The bill requires approval from two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior lawyer, and psychiatrist before an assisted death can be granted. Baroness Thornton, a lay preacher and health minister in Tony Blair's government, disagreed with May's characterization, stating that assisted dying is not suicide.
Labour peer and former MP Baroness Luciana Berger claimed a victory after peers accepted her proposal to introduce a special committee to examine the bill and report by 7 November. The committee's report will trigger at least four sitting Fridays in the Lords for debate and amendment proposals on the bill.
The bill proposes allowing terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. However, the members of the commission reviewing the law on relieving dying adults in England and Wales proposed by Baroness Berger remain unspecified.
The debate has sparked a heated discussion, with some, like Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, claiming that opponents of the Assisted Dying Bill, including Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, are out of touch with public opinion. Meanwhile, Tory peer Kevin Shinkwin, who is severely disabled, stated that the bill gives the state a license to kill the wrong type of people, implying it could potentially put a price on his life.
The future of the Assisted Dying Bill is uncertain, with a possibility of parliamentary ping pong between the two Houses before the bill becomes law. Report stage and third reading will follow early next year, then the bill will return to the Commons for debate on any Lords amendments. The bill's fate remains to be seen, as the House of Lords continues to deliberate on this controversial and emotionally charged issue.
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