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Assisted Dying Bill Moves Forward as Lords Order Expert Scrutiny

Assisted Dying Bill Moves Forward as Lords Order Expert Scrutiny
Image Source: By Martin Godwin/The Guardian

The House of Lords has agreed to further examine the assisted dying bill after peers backed its second reading without a vote. The decision means the controversial legislation will face more detailed review later this autumn.

Special Committee to Review Bill

A new Lords committee will look at how the assisted dying system could be delivered in practice. It will focus on funding, safeguards for vulnerable people and the potential impact on health and justice services.

Labour peer Luciana Berger proposed the motion to set up the committee. She said it was essential to seek expert evidence before the bill moves forward.

“The introduction of a select committee is a victory for those of us who want proper scrutiny,” Berger said. “Without hearing from ministers and professionals, we cannot know how the system would work in practice.”

The committee, expected to include about a dozen peers, will report its findings by 7 November.

What the Legislation Proposes

The bill would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to apply for an assisted death. Applicants must have fewer than six months to live and receive approval from two doctors. A panel including a lawyer, psychiatrist and social worker would also review cases.

Supporters believe the law would offer dignity and choice to people facing the end of life. Critics argue key questions remain unanswered, including where assisted deaths would take place and how services would be funded.

Falconer Urges Peers Not to Block Bill

Charlie Falconer, who is sponsoring the bill in the Lords, welcomed the decision to create a special committee. He said it would improve scrutiny but warned peers against rejecting the bill outright.

“Our role is to examine legislation carefully,” he told the chamber. “It would be wrong to block the bill completely after MPs have already made their decision.”

Concerns About Flaws and Language

Not all peers were convinced. Former judge Elizabeth Butler-Sloss said the bill was “badly flawed” and highlighted 43 delegated powers given to the health secretary. She warned these could leave too much authority in the hands of civil servants.

Other supporters of the bill also raised concerns about recent debate. Theresa May described the legislation as a “suicide bill,” while others used terms such as “licence to kill.”

Labour peer Tessa Blackstone said she felt “affronted” by that language. Fellow peers Jan Royall and Glenys Thornton stressed that terminally ill people wanted to live, but needed dignity in dying.

Next Steps and Timeline

The bill will be debated further in the Lords later this autumn. If it becomes law, the government will have four years to create an assisted dying service. That means the first legal assisted deaths in England and Wales may not occur until 2029.

Campaigners on both sides say the debate marks a historic moment. The committee’s findings in November will likely shape the next stage of the bill.

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