Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Advances Amid Intense Scrutiny in UK Parliament
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a private member’s bill introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater in October 2024, aims to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales for adults aged 18 and over who are expected to die within six months, with safeguards in place. A separate bill to legalise assisted dying in Scotland has already passed an initial vote at Holyrood and is awaiting further scrutiny by MSPs.
The bill is currently undergoing detailed examination by the House of Lords in a line-by-line review during what is day four of a scheduled 14 days. Members of Parliament backed the bill in November 2024 and again in June 2025 to enable it to progress to the Lords. Notably, more than 1,000 amendments have been proposed, setting a record for a private member's bill.
The government remains neutral on the bill, treating it as a matter of conscience and has not allocated government time to debate it. Nonetheless, the Lords chief whip has arranged for 10 additional Friday sessions to ensure sufficient time for scrutiny. There is significant time pressure as the bill must secure agreement on its final wording from both Houses before the current parliamentary session ends in spring. If not passed, the bill will fail and must be reintroduced in a new session since private member’s bills cannot be carried over.
Some MPs have suggested using a Parliament Act to force the bill through without the Lords' consent, but experts caution this would be unprecedented and controversial for a private member’s bill.
Supporters argue that the numerous Lords amendments might be tactics intended to delay the bill. Opponents maintain the amendments are essential for safety and to protect vulnerable individuals. Proposed amendments include requirements such as filming an assisted death and verifying that the patient has not left the country in the past 12 months.
Key critics include Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who has described the bill as badly written with significant gaps. Kim Leadbeater has argued that many amendments are unnecessary or even cruel, while peers emphasize the importance of thorough scrutiny to safeguard the assisted dying process.
