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The island of Jersey is one step closer to an assisted dying law, after States Members voted in favour 32 to 14votes. My Death, My Decision and Humanists UK, both members of the Assisted Dying Coalition alongside End of Life Choices Jersey, welcome this vote of confidence in a safe, compassionate assisted dying law. 

Richard Osborne, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘A massive congratulations to the States Assembly of Jersey, for having a debate that was rooted in compassion and empathy. Politicians did an excellent job putting themselves in the shoes of the terminally ill, and they should be proud of the respectful debate they had.

‘I wish we could say the same of the debate on assisted dying happening in Westminster, which is currently facing a filibuster by a small group of members of the House of Lords, who are adamantly opposed to the law change. The Tynwald in the Isle of Man voted in favour of assisted dying, the States Assembly in Jersey and Holyrood in Scotland look set to do the same, will the terminally ill people of England and Wales be left behind?’

The debate:

The States Assembly began with a debate on end-of-life care, voting in favour of a proposition to create a statutory duty for the Minister for Health and Social Services to provide high-quality end-of-life care for all residents.

They then voted against delaying today’s debate on assisted dying, before debating and voting on support for the principle of the draft law.

Deputy Louise Doublet, States Assembly member, said:

‘As a humanist, I believe firmly that this is the one life we do have, I believe when we die that’s the end of it, that’s the end of our life. It’s hugely important to me to live a good life and live a life that involves being considerate of my fellow human beings and making ethical choices based on reason and evidence. And for me, that means at the end of my life, having choice and having autonomy over how one’s life is to end is hugely important.’ 

Deputy Tom Binet, Minister for Health and Social Services, said: 

‘It’s about both dignity and choice. By providing choice for those who want it, the draft law also brings forward a robust framework of controls to ensure that the safety of islanders and professionals is maintained.’ 

Deputy Moz Scott, States Assembly member, delivered an emotional speech reflecting on her mother, who died by suicide following a terminal diagnosis; a friend with Parkinson’s disease who removed his feeding tube and refused further treatment; and her brother, who, while battling cancer, was unable to communicate and appeared, in her words, like ‘a living skeleton.’ She said:

‘I will be supporting the principles, in the confidence that it will be adequately scrutinised, and in the confidence we have a society that will support in every way this idea of love and humanity when dealing with others.’

Deputy Montford Tadier, States Assembly member, said:

‘So whilst we can’t be responsible for the circumstances of our birth, we can hopefully be responsible for at least the big decisions that we make in our lives, and certainly one of those decisions should be the manner in which you might choose to die, the manner in which you choose to leave this earth and to leave your loved ones.  Again, it comes down to the ability to say “I may never ever want to use this, it might be something that I can bear, but recognising that other people have different belief systems, and that other people, perhaps do want that safeguard at the end of their life, which is to have choice.”’

What happens next?

Proposed amendments include both principled changes to the draft law, such as removing a waiver of future consent, and practical changes, such as replacing one of the doctors if they can’t continue assessing, such as for health reasons.

The debate will return on 24 February, where States Assembly members will debate and vote on these amendments before the very last debate and vote on the Draft Law. If passed, it is anticipated that the assisted dying law will not come into force for another 18 months, likely late summer 2027

History of change on assisted dying in Jersey

There is a clear democratic mandate for assisted dying in Jersey.

In 2018, 1,861 Jersey residents signed a petition calling for the States Assembly to allow for assisted dying. In 2019, there was an online public survey, a GP and doctors’ survey, and a public meeting and these all indicated strong support in the community for assisted dying. This led to the Jersey Assisted Dying Citizens’ Jury, a world-class democratic project, and their report and recommendations in 2021 overwhelmingly support assisted dying. Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson gave oral evidence to the citizens’ jury.

In May 2024, in a landmark vote, the States Assembly voted by a significant majority – 31 in favour, 15 against – to approve detailed proposals on assisted dying legislation. These detailed proposals have been turned into the Draft Law that has now come back before the Assembly.

Copyright House of Lords 2016 / Photography by Roger Harris

On the sixth Sitting Friday for the Committee stage of the Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Lords, debate in the House of Lords has continued at a glacial pace, with peers debating only three groups of amendments out of the 72 remaining. This is despite the welcome announcement of the Chief Whip for additional time, peers agreeing to additional time for the Bill to pass, and peers from both sides of the debate agreeing to send the Bill back to the Commons. 

Peers spent 53 minutes debating a group of probing amendments from Lord Frost that would change the wording of ‘assistance to end their own life’ in the Bill to ‘medical help to commit suicide by provision of lethal drugs’. These amendments add nothing to the clarity, workability or safety of the Bill and replace neutral, clinically accurate language with stigmatising terminology. 

The fate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which successfully passed the Commons last year, remains in jeopardy after over 1,100 amendments have been proposed. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision urge members of the House of Lords to make sure the Bill is returned to the Commons in this parliamentary session.

Filibustering in the Lords

Peers have been accused of attempting to filibuster the Assisted Dying Bill, essentially causing it to fail by proposing an unreasonable number of amendments and deliberately making unnecessary speeches to time it out.

Commenting on the debate in the Lords, Mark D’Arcy, respected political correspondent and co-host of the Hansard Society’s Parliament Matters podcast, said:

‘I’m afraid I’m gonna have to use the F word. This is a filibuster. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and tastes good in orange sauce, it’s a duck. If they’re going this slowly over this piece of legislation, I’m afraid it’s a filibuster. There is no other way to describe what’s going on here. It may be in order. It may be within the rules of the House, but what’s happening here is that a relatively small number of peers are putting down lots and lots of amendments and debating them very, very slowly. And if they continue doing that, this Bill will be lost.’

 We have identified several instances of peers being explicitly clear that they are trying to block the Bill by means other than it being voted down. Seven of the most vocal opponents of the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. Amendments have included a pregnancy test for all applicants, including men, a one-year holiday ban for applicants and an unworkable requirement for half a dozen GP visits.

The Bill must pass all parliamentary stages before the end of the parliamentary session, expected in May 2026, or it will fail.

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘A small group, opposed to the Bill on principle, is still determined to shut it down rather than let it move forward. They are refusing to listen to the very people this Bill is meant to help: those nearing the end of their lives, whose final weeks could be made more bearable. Having supported my wife through an assisted death abroad, I know how vital it is that the system is clear and compassionate. This minority in the Lords should not be allowed to thwart both Parliament’s wider judgment and the public’s clear hopes for 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.

Debate in the House of Lords has continued at a glacial pace, with only 2 groups of amendments out of the 74 remaining groups being debated. This is despite peers agreeing to additional time for the Bill to pass, which saw peers from both sides of the debate speaking of the importance of getting the Bill back to the Commons. 

This means the fate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which successfully passed the Commons last year, remains in jeopardy after over 1,100 amendments have been proposed. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision urge members of the House of Lords to make sure the Bill is returned to the Commons in this parliamentary session.

What happens next?

Last night’s motion to give more time will now lead to peers entering into private negotiations, known as ‘the usual channels’, about how and when this time will be given. This may involve peers starting early or staying late for the debates, or debating on a Thursday. Lord Falconer and Baroness Smith of Basildon, the Leader of the House of Lords, both ruled out additional government time.

Many peers had hoped that last night’s non-binding vote would lead to peers picking up the pace during the debate. Even ardent opponents of assisted dying have argued that the House of Lords should work constructively to get the Bill to Third Reading. However, the debate continued slowly, with peers debating a large group of amendments relating to reversing the Commons’ decision to change the high court judge sign-off to a multidisciplinary panel.

In the first five debates, representing over 20 hours of debate, peers only debated 12 out of 84 groups of amendments, and more amendments continue to be tabled. A potential solution raised during the recent debate is for larger groups of amendments that deal with a small number of contentious issues of disagreement. 

Filibustering in the Lords

Peers have been accused of attempting to filibuster the Assisted Dying Bill, essentially causing it to fail by proposing an unreasonable number of amendments and deliberately making unnecessary speeches to time it out. We’ve identified several instances of peers being explicitly clear that they are trying to block the Bill by means other than it being voted down.

Seven of the most vocal opponents of the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. Amendments have included a pregnancy test for all applicants, including men, a one-year holiday ban for applicants and an unworkable requirement for half a dozen GP visits.

The Bill must pass all parliamentary stages before the end of the parliamentary session, expected in May 2026, or it fails. 

Nathan Stilwell, Assisted Dying Campaigner at Humanists UK, said:

‘Every procedural delay, every stalling tactic, traps people in a system that denies them agency and compassion at the moment they need it most. The status quo forces suffering, strips families of dignity, and exports choice to foreign countries. It is not neutral; it is actively harmful. To preserve this system in the name of process is to ignore the real human cost paid by those who cannot afford to wait.’

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘With last night’s vote, there continue to be ever-rising calls to speed up the debate and get the Assisted Dying Bill back to the Commons. 

‘A small group, opposed to the Bill on principle, is still determined to shut it down rather than let it move forward. They are refusing to listen to the very people this Bill is meant to help: those nearing the end of their lives, whose final weeks could be made more bearable. Having supported my wife through an assisted death abroad, I know how vital it is that the system is clear and compassionate. This minority in the Lords should not be allowed to thwart both Parliament’s wider judgment and the public’s clear hopes for 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.

Lord Falconer at the end of the debate on the motion for more parliamentary time – Parliament TV

Peers have voted for a motion in support of more time for the Assisted Dying Bill to pass through the House of Lords. The fate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which successfully passed the Commons last year, was in jeopardy after over 1,100 amendments were put forward, and the debate progressed at a glacial pace. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision welcome this extra time for scrutiny.

What happens next?

Now that the motion to give more time has been passed, peers will enter into private negotiations about how and when this time will be given. This may involve peers starting early or staying late for the debates.

Lord Falconer and Baroness Smith of Basildon, the Leader of the House of Lords, both ruled out additional government time.

The debate will continue tomorrow, with more Committee Stage debate on possible amendments to the Bill. In the first four debates, representing nearly 16 hours, peers only debated 10 out of 84 groups of amendments, and more amendments continue to be tabled.

Filibustering in the Lords

Peers have been accused of attempting to filibuster the Assisted Dying Bill, essentially causing it to fail by proposing an unreasonable number of amendments and deliberately making unnecessary speeches to time it out. We’ve identified several instances of peers being explicitly clear that they are trying to block the Bill by means other than it being voted down.

Seven of the most vocal opponents to the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. Amendments have included a pregnancy test for all applicants, including men, a one-year holiday ban for applicants and an unworkable requirement for half a dozen GP visits.

The Bill must pass all parliamentary stages before the end of the parliamentary session, expected in Spring 2026, or it fails. 

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘If peers wrecked the assisted dying Bill through dirty tactics and procedural shenanigans, they would also be wrecking their own reputation, and potentially their future. We welcome this motion being passed in the House of Lords. The public cares very deeply about assisted dying, and while it must get the scrutiny it needs, now is the time for the House of Lords to work together on this Bill and return it to the Commons.’ 

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.

Peers have been accused of attempting to filibuster the Assisted Dying Bill, essentially causing it to fail by proposing an unreasonable number of amendments and deliberately making unnecessary speeches to time it out. Opponents of assisted dying have responded by claiming the amendments are just for scrutiny and improving the Bill. However, some peers have been overt about their willingness to filibuster the Assisted Dying Bill.

There are several cases of peers being explicitly clear that they are trying to block the Bill by means other than it being voted down at Third Reading – which may mean it fails even if a majority support it:

• After the Commons vote, the Times reported anonymously that opponents pledged to use ‘every means possible’ to prevent it becoming law. One peer told The Times there were ‘plenty of black arts that could be used to kill the bill off’, including tabling many amendments, and that they ‘could not imagine how it could get through’.
• Similarly, after the Commons vote, GB News reported: ‘A number of leading members of the House of Lords have already vowed to try to scupper the legislation’. Immediately quoted is Lord Frost saying ‘Many of us will now oppose this Bill in the Lords, and entirely legitimately… The fight goes on.’
• Baroness Campbell told the Disability News Service that her role will be to ‘amend, amend, amend, amend, amend, so it becomes so tight that anyone would find it difficult to get it’.
• Lord Moylan posted on X ‘Peers are justified in blocking assisted dying bill’ and shared a Times editorial saying peers that ‘Peers who want to continue blocking this bill and prevent it from ever becoming law are justified in doing so’ – something clearly a reference to the use of amendments and speeches to block the bill. Lord Moylan is vocal against assisted dying on X, and shared a post saying ‘The final duty the Hereditaries can do for their country is to kill this appalling Assisted Dying Bill’.

Richard Osborne, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘The mask is well and truly slipping. It is no longer credible for some peers to claim they are merely scrutinising the Assisted Dying Bill when there are repeated, overt statements, and even anonymous briefings, openly admitting an intention to block, filibuster or wreck it. Scrutiny improves legislation; deliberately trying to run down the clock is something else entirely, and the public can see the difference.’

Other peers trying to block the Assisted Dying Bill:

Other peers have also vowed to stop the legislation, whether by voting it down or by filibustering it. The House of Lords is an unelected chamber, unrepresentative of the population and even unrepresentative of the last election. There are no accountability measures for the public, and the House of Lords contains 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops known as the ‘Lords Spiritual’ who have an automatic right to sit and vote.

• Lord Alton wrote in Conservative Women ‘My fellow peers and I will do our damnedest to halt these evil abortion and assisted dying Bills’, and on Politics.co.uk ‘the Lords is within its rights to do what is necessary to make the bill safer for vulnerable people and, if necessary, to reject it entirely’.
• Baroness Monckton wrote in the MailOnline: ‘Why I’ll fight in the Lords against this breathtakingly cruel and ignorant assisted suicide Bill’.
• The Bishop of London (now Archbishop of Canterbury-designate) and the Archbishop of York said during the Second Reading debate that they will force a vote on assisted dying. The Bishop of London told the Standard, ‘I will vote against the Assisted Dying Bill’. The Catholic Archbishop of Westminster told the Times ‘The task is now clear: every effort must be made to limit the damage that will be done by this decision.’

An overwhelming number of amendments:

Over 1,150 amendments have been proposed to the Bill. For a 51-page Bill, this is an outrageous number of amendments. There are an average of 22.6 amendments per page so far. The Bill with the next highest number of amendments this session, the Children’s Wellbeing Schools Bill, had only 5.3 per page.

• Baroness Finlay (190 amendments), Baroness Grey-Thompson (130 amendments) and Lord Moylan (46 amendments) were featured together in an article by The Telegraph titled ‘The peers accused of thwarting the euthanasia bill’. The same article claims that Lord Farmer, who describes the Bill as ‘an atheist bill that assumes there is nothing after death’, is working with Grey-Thompson and Finlay.
• Baroness Grey-Thompson shared on X ‘I have tabled many amendments. Some were ruled out of scope. There are probably another 50 that I haven’t tabled.’ Despite already tabling 130 amendments herself. One of her amendments was for a mandatory pregnancy test for all applicants, including men.
• Baroness Berger (19 amendments) was featured in an article by the Jewish Chronicle titled ‘Baroness Berger tells the government it’s not too late to stop Assisted Dying Bill’

When mass amendment sits alongside explicit pledges by peers to stop the Bill entirely, the distinction between scrutiny and obstruction becomes blurred. Peers who claim a nuanced, good-faith approach should therefore explicitly disavow attempts to wreck the Bill through procedural overload. Amendments have included a holiday ban for all applicants and an unworkable requirement for half a dozen GP visits.

Seven of the most vocal opponents to the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. It would take two decades to debate all the current amendments. 

The Bill must pass all parliamentary stages before Spring 2026, or it fails.

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.

Baroness Butler-Sloss, a senior member of the House of Lords and an opponent of assisted dying, has warned the Lords today that attempts to talk out the Assisted Dying Bill pose a danger to the reputation of the House. This follows a letter from three senior MPs opposed to assisted dying who called on peers not to hold up the progress of the Bill through Parliament, arguing that there was a serious danger of the Lords losing its democratic legitimacy. 

Baroness Butler-Sloss said during the debate:

‘I don’t like the Bill, but I am here like other noble Lords to try and make it work. It needs scrutiny, it needs improvement, but we must get it to Third Reading. If we don’t, there is a very real danger that the reputation of the House, which not only I but all your Lordships care about deeply, will be, or possibly will be, irreparably eroded.’

Kim Leadbeater MP, the sponsor of the Bill, told The Today programme this morning that it ‘would be wrong from a democratic perspective when the Commons has voted for it, and there’s huge public support’ if the House of Lords sabotaged the Bill through running down the clock. 

Today, peers debated unrealistic and discriminatory proposals around mandatory GP home visits, and a proposal that all applicants, including men, undergo a pregnancy test. Peers have debated 101 of 1,142 amendments. Analysis by Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision has shown that seven of the most vocal opponents to the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. While some of the unworkable amendments have been withdrawn, such as Baroness Coffey’s proposal to ban applicants from going on holiday, amendments continue to be added every day.

The Bill must pass all stages in the Lords and Commons before Spring 2026, or it fails.

Louise Shackleton, who accompanied her husband to Dignitas for an assisted death, said:

‘Today, terminally ill people and those bereaved by awful deaths were dismissed as “attack dogs” simply for urging the Lords to scrutinise, not block, the Assisted Dying Bill. The Lords select committee refused to hear from terminally ill people, and too many peers forget who this Bill is for. My message to the House of Lords is clear: we will not be silenced, our voices matter, and legalising assisted dying would give compassion and choice to people who currently have neither.’ 

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘It was Groundhog day, yet again, in the House of Lords today. Despite an ever-growing chorus of pleas to peers to stop putting barriers in the way of those seeking a compassionate death, the same very small group of peers ignored these pleas. It’s obvious that the concerted effort to block its progress by these peers, who are all against the Bill as a matter of principle, continues.’

‘They ignore the perspective of those the Bill is designed for, people at the end of their lives. Its aim is to improve the quality of those last weeks, and having accompanied my wife to Dignitas for an assisted death, I know how precious those weeks are.

‘The process must be as simple as possible for the vast majority of straightforward cases, whilst being robust and safe for the remaining tiny minority of complex cases. This small group of peers must not be allowed to undermine the will of Parliament and the hopes and wishes of the public.’

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.

The US State of Illinois has legalised assisted dying, after the Governor, JB Pritzker, signed it into law. It becomes the 13th jurisdiction in the US, and the 35th jurisdiction internationally to enact an assisted dying law. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are hailing this historic moment and are calling on the House of Lords to constructively work on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill, so dying Brits can face the same choices as the people of Illinois. 

The legislation had already passed the Illinois Senate by 30 votes to 27, and the House by 63 votes to 42. It should come into effect after 180 days.

Since Kim Leadbeater MP announced she would introduce an assisted dying Bill in October 2024, the Isle of Man, the US state of Delaware, Uruguay, and now Illinois have passed assisted dying legislation. 

The Australian Capital Territory’s legislation, passed in 2023, has come into effect, and a new Bill focusing on the accessibility of assisted dying has been passed in Victoria, Australia. Tuscany in Italy became the first Italian region to adopt a law implementing assisted dying, following Italy’s Constitutional Court ruling.

Assisted dying bills in Jersey and Scotland are expected to pass in early 2026. The Terminally Ill Adults Bill must pass all stages by spring 2026

What does Illinois’ new assisted dying law look like?

The law in Illinois is very similar to the proposed Terminally Ill Adults Bill.

Both Bills require applicants to:

• Be adults (aged 18 or over)
• Be terminally ill with a prognosis of six months or less
• Have mental capacity and be acting voluntarily, without coercion
• Be independently assessed by at least two doctors, who must confirm diagnosis, prognosis, capacity and voluntariness
• Complete formal requests and documentation, with mandatory waiting periods

Both Bills introduce explicit criminal penalties for coercion or abuse under the law.

The key difference is that the UK’s proposed Bill requires a three-person Assisted Dying Review Panel (legal chair, psychiatrist, social worker) to assess the patient after the two independent doctors. This is overseen by a Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner (senior judge). The waiting periods in the UK Bill are also much longer.

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘Congratulations, Illinois, on passing this historic and compassionate law.  The House of Lords should take note of the ever-growing international picture, where all over the world, nations are saying that dying people should not be forced to suffer at the end of their lives.

Almost everyone agrees the current situation is unsafe, unjust and muddled. The Lords must stop frustrating the process and they should not undermine the will of Parliament and the hopes and wishes of the public.’

We were deeply saddened to hear that John Knight CBE, our esteemed patron, died on 2nd December. 

When John joined My Death, My Decision’s assisted dying campaign as a board member, he quickly won us all over with his clarity of thought and articulacy, matched with a natural warmth and optimism. When ill health forced him to step down from the board, he nevertheless continued his support as a valued patron and adviser on disability.

John, who had had a number of severe disabilities since birth, was adamant he would not presume to speak for the wider heterogeneous community of disabled people when it came to assisted dying. But he felt a duty to echo the voices of the majority of them, who he saw as ‘widely ignored, unheard and misrepresented in the urgent national debate’. 

It is no surprise, therefore, that the attitude of some opponents of assisted dying living with disabilities infuriated John, especially when they repeated their mantra ‘nothing about us without us’. As he succinctly put it: 

“It bodes ill that disabled people with an established public platform persistently and knowingly misrepresent the views of the majority. They should stop.”

John worked professionally to enhance disabled people’s independence, autonomy and rights to self-determination, playing his part in major successes and legislative progress – notably the introduction of independent living services and the Disability Discrimination Acts. We have him to thank for the wheelchair spaces that are now a norm in railway carriages. He was made CBE in 2011 for services to people with disabilities.

His career spanned the voluntary and statutory sectors including the Department of Health, Leonard Cheshire Disability and the Commission for Public Appointments. John also held National Board level directorships of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (now part of the Care Quality Commission); the Charity Commission and the General Social Care Council (now part of Social Work England). John’s voluntary roles in public service included as a magistrate, in NHS Governance and in social housing.

We will miss, but never forget, John.

For over 50 years, abortion was legal in England, Scotland, and Wales, but not in Ireland or Northern Ireland, leading to a quarter of a million women travelling, often alone, to access it. This type of injustice risks being repeated between England and Wales if Welsh politicians vote down assisted dying proposals – as then, people will need to travel to England to have the procedure on the NHS. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are urging politicians to give terminally ill Welsh people the same options and choices that hundreds of thousands of dying people have around the world.

What is the Legislative Consent Motion (LCM)?

On Tuesday 27 January, members of the Senedd will vote on a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) relating to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

This vote is not about whether assisted dying should be legal in Wales. That decision to change the criminal law will already have been taken at Westminster under reserved powers, where 75% of Welsh MPs voted strongly in favour. Instead, the LCM will determine whether Wales should hold the powers to shape how the law is delivered for the people of Wales.

The LCM concerns a small number of clauses inserted into the Bill to ensure Wales can shape its own implementation of assisted dying. These include:

• Making sure people can give information, have assessments, and get reports in Welsh,
• Letting Welsh Ministers give guidance that fits the needs of Welsh communities,
• Allowing the Welsh Healthcare system (including NHS Wales) to provide assisted deaths,
• Making sure Wales is involved in checking the system and reporting on how it works.

Rejecting the LCM would therefore neither block the law, alter eligibility, nor delay implementation. It would only limit Welsh decision-making on how the law is delivered safely, consistently, and equitably in Wales.

What Happens If the LCM Is Rejected?

If the Senedd refuses consent, but the Bill passes in Westminster:

• The devolved implementation clauses will be removed.
• Assisted dying will still become lawful in Wales.
• Wales will lose the powers needed to build a public service-led, Wales-specific service.

Likely outcomes include:

• Only private firms deliver assisted dying services in Wales  for a fee;
• Welsh residents forced to travel to England for assessment and provision;
• No guarantee of Welsh-language access;
• No Wales-specific clinical guidance;
• No tailored oversight reflecting Welsh communities and health needs.

In effect, Wales would lose the ability to design a system rooted in Welsh values, geography, language, and healthcare structures, whilst still being subject to the change in criminal law.

For over 50 years, abortion was legal in England, Scotland, and Wales, but not in Ireland or Northern Ireland, leading to a quarter of a million women travelling, often alone, to access it. This type of injustice risks being repeated between England and Wales if Welsh politicians vote down assisted dying proposals – as then, people will need to travel to England to have the procedure on the NHS. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are urging politicians to give terminally ill Welsh people the same options and choices that hundreds of thousands of dying people have around the world.

Who will be most affected: inequality and low incomes in Wales

Multiple reputable organisations, human-rights bodies and peer-reviewed researchers have documented how the abortion ban (and subsequent uneven implementation) in Northern Ireland disproportionately impacted people on low incomes, those living in remote areas, or socially vulnerable people.

Similarly, if assisted dying becomes available only through private providers or by travelling to England, people on lower incomes will face the greatest barriers. Wales has lower average household incomes than most of the UK and higher levels of poverty and long-term illness. 

Travel, accommodation, transport of medical equipment, and time away from carers or family impose costs that many households cannot meet. Those already facing financial hardship or in remote communities would be particularly affected.

Ensuring the Senedd retains implementation powers is vital for fairness. Without them, access to assisted dying for Welsh people risks becoming determined by wealth, health, and postcode, deepening existing inequalities. 

Welsh voices on assisted dying

74% of Welsh people support a change in the law. Support is broad-based across all major political parties.

Gemma Williams, from Carmarthenshire, has lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 20 years. She supports the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and backs terminally ill people having a choice. She said:

‘As someone who has lived with MS for over twenty years, I know the importance of feeling safe, respected, and in control of my own care. The safeguards in the Terminally Ill Adults Bill are stronger than anything that exists today, and giving Wales the power to tailor how the law works will protect people like me, not endanger us. No one should be forced to travel, struggle, or suffer simply because they are ill or because they are Welsh. Choice is not a threat, it is dignity.’

Graham Winyard, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘If the Senedd rejects these implementation powers, assisted dying will still become legal – but Wales will be left with a system designed elsewhere, for different communities and different needs. That outcome would entrench inequality and deny dying people fair access to a safe, well-regulated service. We urge Welsh politicians to learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure that, this time, no one is excluded by geography, language, or income when making the most personal decision of their lives.’

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.

.

The rate of debate on the Assisted Dying Bill has not progressed sufficiently for the Bill to pass, with only three groups of amendments, representing 50 amendments, debated today. While this is more than in the previous two debates, seven amendments on the first and 21 on the second, this still isn’t enough to cover the over 1,139 amendments tabled. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are disappointed that a small group of peers are putting the Bill in jeopardy by tabling a large number of amendments, but also debating them too slowly for the Bill to pass.

This group of peers is also dominating the debate. In the three debates so far, a small number of opponents have made multiple long contributions, with Baroness Finlay of Llandaff speaking for almost a tenth of the entire debate (one hour six minutes). This is closely followed by Baroness Coffey (47 minutes), Lord Harper (39 minutes) and Baroness Lawlor (33 minutes). These calculations do not include interventions, where peers interrupt others, points of order, the Bill sponsor or the Health Minister. Conservative peers have spoken for 40% of the entire debate.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark, the chief Government whip, said at the end of the debate: ‘We have completed three groups of amendments, which is less than I hoped for… I think that all noble Lords need to reflect on that before we resume our considerations of this Bill next Friday.’

Analysis by Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision has shown that seven of the most vocal opponents to the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. While some of the unworkable amendments have been withdrawn, such as Baroness Coffey’s proposal to ban applicants from going on holiday, others, such as the requirement that all applicants, including men, undergo a pregnancy test, remain. 

The Bill must pass all stages in the Lords and Commons before Spring 2026, or it fails. At the current rate of debate, it will not pass.

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘It was Groundhog day in the House of Lords today. Despite a growing chorus of pleas to peers to stop putting barriers in the way of those seeking a compassionate death, the same very small group of peers ignored these pleas. It’s obvious that the concerted effort to block its progress by these peers, who are all against the Bill as a matter of principle, continues.’

‘They ignore the perspective of those the Bill is designed for, people at the end of their lives. Its aim is to improve the quality of those last weeks, and having accompanied my wife to Dignitas for an assisted death, I know how precious those weeks are.

‘The process must be as simple as possible for the vast majority of straightforward cases, whilst being robust and safe for the remaining tiny minority of complex cases. This small group of peers must not be allowed to undermine the will of Parliament and the hopes and wishes of the public.’

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.