Assisted dying: MP says Bill process ‘rigorous’ but cardinal brands it ‘flawed’

A senior UK Catholic leader has criticised the “deeply flawed process” by which the assisted dying Bill is progressing through Parliament, as the MP behind it told of her frustration at opponents suggesting it has been handled in anything other than a “thorough, rigorous” way. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill returns to the House of Commons this month for further debate. It follows a two-month committee process hailed by supporters as having strengthened proposed legislation and made it more workable, but which opponents have claimed was rushed and chaotic.

MPs are expected to vote on further amendments to the Bill at report stage on April 25. If time allows, MPs could also vote on whether to approve the Bill at third reading – its final stage in the Commons – and decide if it is then sent to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. The Bill, passed at second reading in November in a historic vote, will come back to the MPs in the Commons significantly changed.



The High Court safeguard has been dropped and replaced by expert panels, while the implementation period has been doubled to a maximum of four years for an assisted dying service to be in place should the Bill pass into law. Eligibility remains with only terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live. The Bill proposes someone fitting this criteria should be legally allowed to end their lives, subject to approval by two doctors and an expert panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.

In a letter to MPs ahead of a press conference on Wednesday, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said her Bill has emerged from committee “even stronger, safer and more effective”. She said she respects “any MP who fundamentally objects to the principle of assisted dying, whether from a religious standpoint or any other” but added that “what has been frustrating at times is to see opponents of the Bill suggest that it has been debated and amended in a way that is anything other than thorough, rigorous and professional”. Among those opposed to the Bill, fellow Labour MP Jess Asato has previously described the committee process as “chaotic” with “substantial last-minute changes to core sections of the Bill”.

Adding his voice to the strong opposition, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has drafted a letter to parishioners urging them to write to their MPs urging them to vote against the Bill. In the letter, which will be read in the parishes of Westminster archdiocese this weekend, he said: “At this point we wish not simply to restate our objections in principle, but to emphasise the deeply flawed process undergone in Parliament thus far. “We wish to remind you that it is a fundamental duty of every MP to ensure that legislation is not imposed on our society which has not been properly scrutinised and which will bring about damaging consequences.

” Another amendment voted through in committee imposes a duty on a secretary of state in England and gives power to ministers in Wales, where health is devolved, to ensure the provision of voluntary assisted dying services. Cardinal Nichols questioned: “Would this mean the establishment of a ‘national death service’?” Among those expected at the press conference alongside Ms Leadbeater on Wednesday are former director of public prosecutions Sir Max Hill and MP and disability rights advocate Marie Tidball. Ms Tidball, who was on the scrutiny committee, secured amendments to ensure the establishment of independent advocates to support people with learning disabilities, autism, or mental health conditions and to establish a disability advisory board, should the Bill become law, to advise on its implementation and impact on disabled people.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon has proposed an amendment to reduce the timeline for full implementation of a new law, from four years to three. Mr Gordon was the only committee member to oppose the doubling of the time frame, from two years to four. Ms Leadbeater, who proposed the change to four years, said she was disappointed at having to do so and insisted it is a “backstop, it’s not a target” as she pledged to “hold the Government’s feet to the fire” on implementing legislation should the Bill pass.

But Mr Gordon, who hopes his amendment will be selected for debate and a vote on April 25, said: “A three-year deadline for implementation strikes a fair balance between the Government, which has pushed for delays, and Parliament, which voted for a compassionate change to assisted dying.” He said any delay “risks denying thousands the choice of a dignified death, forcing them to suffer unnecessarily”..