The House of Lords Select Committee on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill) has held their third day of oral evidence, where it heard from Sarah Sackman MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services at the Ministry of Justice. Sackman said that if Parliament passes the Bill in its current form, ‘the Government considers it deliverable’. Sackman also confirmed it is workable, the new offences introduced are enforceable and, confirmed that it is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision welcome this clarity and call on the House of Lords to pass this vital legislation.
Speaking to the Committee, Sackman outlined that the Government has a neutral view on assisted dying. The policy and principle decisions are for Parliament, and the Government would make them work. When questioned on whether a medical examiner or a coroner should investigate every assisted death, Sackman said:
‘The certification of death at the end of this process is exactly that. It comes at the end of the process, which, as the Bill currently sets out, necessarily involves the assessment by two medical practitioners that the person electing for an assisted death is doing so in a manner that is free from coercion.
‘The panel stage, the multi-disciplinary panel, where again part of the eligibility test in clause 17 requires that the panel be satisfied that coercion is absent. And then, of course, we come to the medical examination stage. There can be, of course, no complacency about coercion in whatever form, whether it’s domestic abuse or whatever, but I think it’s important to set the choice that has been made, at least until now, in the context of that process.’
The Minister was questioned whether the Bill was compatible with the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. She replied:
‘The Bill as currently drafted provides a number of safeguards at various stages. The first coordinating doctor must make an assessment that there isn’t coercion and that the person in question is acting out of free will, displaying a clear and settled and informed wish to end their own life. That is then layered on with a second coordinating doctor.
‘You then reach the panel, where the bill tells us that domestic abuse training in order to identify the coercion that [the committee member] rightly highlights is mandatory for all panel members. Now, the adequacy and the sufficiency of those safeguards and the focus that the Bill places on domestic abuse and coercion in particular, that is ultimately a policy choice. But the fact that experts must receive training in respect specifically of domestic abuse, including coercive control and financial abuse, to my mind is significant.’
Richy Thompson, Director of Public Affairs at Humanists UK, said:
‘We welcome the recognition that the Bill is both workable and compatible with human rights law. These clarifications remove any remaining doubt about the feasibility of assisted dying legislation in the UK. It is now time for the House of Lords to act with compassion and urgency to pass this vital reform.
‘When it comes to assisted dying, the status quo is unworkable; it leads to unnecessary suffering, painful suicides, and people fleeing their own country to take control of their deaths. This is a stark contrast to the many jurisdictions that have legalised assisted dying and offer a safe, compassionate choice for the terminally ill.’
Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:
‘The Government’s confirmation that this Bill is workable, enforceable, and compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights is a significant development. While the Government maintains a position of neutrality on the principle of assisted dying, its evidence to the Committee today makes it clear that there are no legal or practical barriers to introducing this reform.
‘That should give confidence to politicians who support the principle of giving people greater control at the end of life, but may have had concerns about the implementation. With clear safeguards, professional oversight, and the protection of individual rights at its core, this Bill presents a compassionate and responsible way forward. We now urge members of the House of Lords to reflect on the strength of the evidence and move decisively to support this change.’
Notes
Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033. (media only)
Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.
My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.
