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France has legalised assisted dying after the National Assembly gave final approval to the legislation, with MPs voting 291 to 241 to back the bill, bringing years of parliamentary debate to a close.

The vote means France has approved a legal right to assisted dying for adults who meet strict eligibility criteria. The legislation will now be referred to the Constitutional Council for review before it is formally enacted.

The law will apply to French citizens and legal residents aged 18 or over who have a serious and incurable illness at an advanced or terminal stage, are experiencing suffering that cannot be adequately relieved, and are able to make a free and informed decision.

The law will not be available to people travelling from the UK. Despite France being just across the Channel, only French citizens and legal residents will be entitled to use it.

Opinion polls, like a February Ifop poll, show that 84% of respondents approve of the assisted dying bill while others show support increasing over the past two decades.

Dave Sowry, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“It is encouraging to see the French Parliament reflecting the wishes of the French people, as expressed through their citizens’ jury and wider public opinion.

The French public’s support for this law change mirrors the long-standing and unwavering public support for assisted dying in England and Wales.

We must hope that Parliament here reflects on the cruelty of our current law and follows the example of its French counterparts. To leave things as they are is a choice, and we deserve better.”

France’s reform follows several years of public and parliamentary debate. In 2023, a citizens’ convention made up of 184 randomly selected people backed opening access to assisted dying in certain circumstances by a clear majority.

The National Assembly had previously approved the legislation on three occasions, while the Senate repeatedly rejected it. Under the French parliamentary system, the National Assembly has the final word when the two chambers cannot reach agreement.

The vote comes as assisted dying legislation has returned to Parliament in England and Wales.

Lauren Edwards MP is bringing back the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill after securing second place in the Private Members’ Bill ballot. Its Second Reading is scheduled for Friday 11 September.

The previous Bill passed the House of Commons but fell in the House of Lords after being delayed until the end of the parliamentary session.

France has now joined Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and many other countries who have shown that assisted-dying reform can triumph when the need for change remains clear. MPs here have another opportunity to ensure terminally ill people in England and Wales are not left behind.

Notes

• France’s National Assembly approved the assisted dying legislation by 291 votes to 241 on 15 July 2026.
• The legislation will now be referred to the Constitutional Council before formal enactment.
• Access will be limited to French citizens and legal residents.
• Lauren Edwards MP is bringing back the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in England and Wales. Its Second Reading is scheduled for Friday 11 September 2026.

  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 Kerry Hogan at kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07922363248. (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.

Jersey has today made history by becoming the first jurisdiction in the British Isles to legalise assisted dying, after its Assisted Dying Law received Royal Assent.

The legislation has now completed the law-making process and attention turns to implementation, with an assisted dying service expected to be available from 2027. The milestone follows years of public consultation, parliamentary scrutiny and campaigning, and is another powerful demonstration that carefully safeguarded assisted dying laws are becoming a reality.

Responding to the news, Dave Sowry, Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“This is another historic moment for assisted dying across the British Isles.

“We particularly welcome Jersey’s decision to allow people with neurodegenerative conditions to access assisted dying where they are expected to die within 12 months. For people living with conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s etc, the final months of life can involve a devastating loss of independence, communication and control. Recognising that reality is both compassionate and humane.

“While the proposed Terminally Ill Adults Bill for England and Wales takes a different approach, Jersey’s experience will now provide valuable evidence that a carefully safeguarded assisted dying law can be implemented safely in practice. We hope that gives Parliament further confidence as it continues considering legislation for England and Wales.”

Jersey’s law will apply to mentally competent adults who are terminally ill and have been ordinarily resident in Jersey for at least 12 months. Eligible people will be able to seek an assisted death if they are expected to die within six months, or within 12 months where they have a neurodegenerative condition.

This differs from the proposed Terminally Ill Adults Bill for England and Wales, which currently applies only to terminally ill adults who are reasonably expected to die within six months. Jersey’s inclusion of a 12-month eligibility period for people with neurodegenerative conditions recognises that some terminal illnesses involve a longer decline while still causing profound suffering and loss of autonomy.

Jersey plans to introduce its Assisted Dying Service in late 2027, and recruitment has already begun for key leadership roles to oversee the safe, ethical and compassionate delivery of the new service. During the implementation period, clinical guidance will be developed, healthcare professionals will receive specialist training, and independent oversight and regulatory arrangements will be established before the law comes into force

The Isle of Man has approved assisted dying legislation but now awaits Royal Assent, meaning Jersey has become the first jurisdiction in the British Isles to complete the legislative process for assisted dying, underlining the growing momentum behind law reform across the British Isles. As implementation begins, campaigners across the UK will be watching closely as Jersey demonstrates how a compassionate, carefully safeguarded assisted dying service can operate in practice.

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 Kerry Hogan at kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07922363248. (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 Government has failed democracy by missing the opportunity to set out a path forward for assisted dying reform in the King’s Speech, despite consistent, overwhelming public support and repeated votes in favour of change in the House of Commons. My Death My Decision said the omission will prolong the suffering of terminally ill people and their families, by leaving Parliament without a clear route forward after the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was blocked in the House of Lords earlier this year.

Dr Graham Winyard CBE , Co-Chair at My Death, My Decision, said:

“Dying people and their loved ones will be bitterly disappointed that theGovernment has chosen not to act.

The House of Commons made its view clear. MPs backed change. The public back change. But instead of doing what was asked of them and enabling the Bill to pass, a small number of peers resorted to procedural tactics and endless amendments to run down the clock until the legislation fell.

That is not scrutiny. It is obstruction.

The Government now has a responsibility to ensure the democratic will of the elected House is respected and that terminally ill adults are not abandoned yet again.”

My Death, My Decision said today’s King’s Speech must not mark the end of assisted dying reform this Parliament, and called for urgent action to ensure legislation can return swiftly.

The campaign group is urging:

• MPs supportive of reform to publicly commit to bringing the Bill back at the earliest opportunity;
• The Government to provide sufficient parliamentary time for proper debate and scrutiny;
• If the House of Lords tries to delay the Bill again, the Parliament Act to be used to ensure the Bill, as supported by elected MPs, becomes law.

Graham Winyard added:

“The need for this legislation is not going away, and the public is only growing more vocal with their frustration and outrage at how this issue was treated in the House of Lords. Over recent months, we have heard heartbreaking testimony from dying people, grieving families, and campaigners who are frankly fed up with being spoken about as though they are victims who don’t know their own minds. This campaign is for those people who deserve better than delay and parliamentary gamesmanship.

The next step must now be clear: bring the Bill back, allow Parliament to do its job properly, and finally give terminally ill adults the choice and compassion they deserve.”

Attention will now turn to the next Private Members’ Bill ballot, currently expected on 21 May, with campaigners urging supportive MPs to back fresh efforts to reintroduce assisted dying legislation at the earliest possible opportunity.

Notes to editors:

For media enquiries, please contact Kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or call 07922363248.

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.

Members of the team and people with personal stories are available for interview.

Today, we raised a half-mast flag saying “Democracy Failed” outside Parliament as the Assisted Dying Bill fell in the House of Lords, marking what we believe is a shameful outcome and a Bill blocked by a handful of peers.

Louise Shackleton held the flag on behalf of dying people and families who have been failed by the current law. Louise accompanied her husband, Antony, to Dignitas in 2024 after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, because the law here denied them the choice they needed at home. 

Louise Shackleton said:

“I am sad for all the terminally ill people that this bill was designed to protect, people who desperately want to live but who have terminal illnesses and face uncertainty and painful deaths. The British public wants this. The House of Commons voted for it. The Bill had momentum, and it should have been decided properly. Instead, we have been left heartbroken; all those words spoken and no decisions made. This is not democracy. This Bill must come back as soon as possible.”

Dave Sowry, Co-Chair of My Death, My Decision, accompanied his wife Christy to Dignitas in 2022, said:

“The case for change was made, but the Bill still fell. We do not accept that this is a fair outcome. It was blocked by a handful of opponents who have stopped the majority of the House of Lords from doing its job.

They didn’t win the argument, and they didn’t win the vote because, despite all their talking, no vote was held.

We are heartbroken and angry, but we are not done. There is nothing humane about a system that forces some people to suffer at the end of their lives without choice. 

The public now looks to MPs to make good their decision to change the law.”

Lord Markham said he is sorry that the House of Lords has “let down the hopes of the nation”. Speaking powerfully on the day that the Terminally Ill Adults Bill fell:

“This Bill has had plenty of time compared to other bills, but the House of Lords has just not chosen to use that time wisely. The reputation of the Lords is poorer for it. My true regret is that we let down 70% of the British population who support assisted dying, who saw the House of Commons pass the Bill, and don’t understand how the Lords can block it without even a vote. But most of all, I am sorry to those people who are terminally ill, for whom the Assisted Dying Bill held out the promise of a safe, humane and pain-free death of their own choosing. The current law does not protect people; it abandons them.

I know I speak for many, many of our colleagues here, that we will try, we will try, and we will try again to bring this Bill back as soon as possible in the next session to do what is right democratically and most importantly of all: to give those people who are terminally ill hope and choice of a better way to die.”

Many other peers, including Lord Baker of Dorking, Baroness Hayman and Baroness Harding of Winscombe, also spoke to share their frustration that the Lords have not completed their scrutiny.

Images from today show the flag raised to half-mast against the backdrop of Parliament, alongside campaigners holding placards and photographs of loved ones, underlining the real human cost of delay.

Today will be the final debate in this parliamentary session. At 15:00, when the debate finishes, the Bill will have fallen. It will officially fall when Parliament is prorogued. 

The House of Lords Committee stage of the debate has surpassed the word count of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel War and Peace. Over 75 hours of debate, totalling 607,077 words, have led to only three minor changes to the Bill.

 The Parliament Act can be used to bypass the Lords and enact the Bill.

Notes to editors:

For media enquiries, please contact Kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or call 07922363248.

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.

Members of the team and people with personal stories are available for interview.

Campaigners, those affected by the current status quo, and bereaved families supported by My Death, My Decision gathered outside Parliament this week to call for greater choice and compassion at the end of life. This comes as the Terminally Ill Adults Bill is expected to fall in the House of Lords on Friday.

The rally, held on Wednesday 22nd April, brought together individuals living with terminal illness alongside families who have supported loved ones through end-of-life decisions under the current law. Many attending have direct experience of the consequences of the current legal framework, including travelling abroad for a loved one’s assisted death or witnessing prolonged and painful deaths.

Supporters travelled from across the UK to attend, reflecting the strength of feeling at the Bill falling. Images from the rally show campaigners holding placards and photographs of loved ones, highlighting the real cost of inaction and the need for change.

Hannah Slater, a 38-year-old living with a terminal illness, attended the rally. She said:

“The Bill has already been passed by the elected House of Commons, and yet it now looks set to fall because a small handful of Lords have blocked it for months. That is not democratic.”

“I have stage four breast cancer, which has spread to my brain and my eye. I’ve already lost the vision in one eye, and I’ve lost so much independence, but I still want the chance to make the decision that feels right for me and my family.”

“I have a three-year-old son who I love very much, and I am very much invested in living for as long as possible. But I also want dignity, choice and compassion when that time comes.”

Dame Prue Leith, who is a Patron of My Death, My Decision and a campaigner for assisted dying reform, said:

“The House of Lords is there to scrutinise legislation and improve it, not to block it. What has happened to the Assisted Dying Bill is undemocratic and utterly disgraceful. A small handful of peers have flooded the process with amendments and run down the clock, leaving dying people to pay the price.

I became involved in assisted dying because I watched my brother die of bone cancer. He was in terrible pain and begging to die, but the doctors would not give him enough morphine because they were frightened it might hasten his death. He was dying anyway. I remember thinking: where is the compassion? 

The Bill may fall this week, but this campaign will not. The public are behind this, and we will come back”

Dave Sowry, Co-Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“Almost a year ago we were in Parliament Square full of a sense of relief that the democratically elected House of Commons had had the courage to pass the assisted dying bill. Sadly we were back today as the Bill is about to be blocked in the House of Lords. They didn’t win the argument because the argument is on our side. They didn’t win any vote because they didn’t allow one to be taken. The truth is that the evidence is overwhelmingly on our side. Public opinion is overwhelmingly on our side.

But sadly, time is not on the side of the people here today, and those around the country who are faced with a terminal illness and won’t be able to benefit from a change in the law.  It’s those people and others who have already sadly died, who could have benefitted from having the option of an assisted death, and those, like my wife Christy, who chose and was able to travel to Dignitas. It’s for those people that we gathered today.

We heard days upon days of debate in the House of Lords with hardly a mention of the people the Bill is designed to help. It’s those people’s voices who need to be heard. We will not be put off, we must not be put off. We will continue to fight for those voices to be heard and to fight for a compassionate law.”

Campaigners said the rally marks just one step in a continued push for reform, warning that without change, more families will be forced to endure the same experiences.

The Bill is expected to run out of time on Friday 24th April, with a small number of Peers blocking a change to the law on assisted dying. The sponsors of the Bill, supported by a number of MPs, are organising to bring the Bill back in the next Parliamentary session. 

Notes to editors:

Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.

For further comment or information, media should contact Kerry Hogan at kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07922363248. (media only)

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.

The island of Jersey has passed its historic Assisted Dying Law, after States Members voted in favour by 32 votes to 16. My Death, My Decision, a member of the Assisted Dying Coalition alongside End of Life Choices Jersey, welcomes this historic moment, and urges the rest of the UK to move forward in confidence with passing safe, compassionate assisted dying legislation. 

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

‘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, now the States Assembly in Jersey has followed suit, will the terminally ill people of England and Wales be left behind?’

The debate:
The States Assembly began by debating a series of amendments to the Draft Legislation, many recommended by the Review Panel. These amendments include both principled changes to the draft law, such as allowing waiver of future consent, and practical changes, such as replacing one of the doctors if they can’t continue assessing.

Deputy Louise Doublet, States Assembly member, said:

‘This is one of the most meaningful things we can do for our island. Death is never an easy thing, but it’s something everyone will face. If we can improve this legislation today, which has extremely rigorous and robust safeguards and principles underpinning it, we can be really proud of it as an Assembly.

‘It is a compassionate gift we are giving our island. As a humanist, I am guided by principles of compassion… It will make some really difficult moments in people’s lives a little bit less painful.’ 

Deputy Helen Miles, States Assembly member, said: 

‘I do not share the theological view that the timing and manner of death must be determined by divine authority; others in this assembly do hold that belief, and I do respect that sincerity and the integrity with which they argued their case. But we legislate for a plural society, and within that society, competent adults must be permitted to make deeply personal decisions about their own lives.

‘I have been thinking of Jersey man Alain Du Chemin, who came and addressed the Citizens jury in April 2021. He was terminally ill, and he asked, “What makes anybody think that they have the right to force me to die in a particular way that I don’t want?” That question has echoed throughout this process. And today, the Assembly is going to answer.

‘Today we have the opportunity to improve dignity at the end of life.’

 What happens next?

The Law will now go to the Privy Council for Royal Assent. The Assisted Dying Bill in the Isle of Man has been awaiting Royal Assent for nearly a year. This has the potential to cause a democratic crisis. 

The Assisted Dying Law will not come into force for another 18 months, likely late summer 2027.

How does it compare to the Terminally Ill Adults Bill in Westminster?

Several elements are almost identical in both Bills. The applicant must:

• Be an adult.
• Be terminally ill.
• Have a clear mental capacity and a settled wish to die.
• Be assessed by two independent doctors.
• Be ordinarily resident for at least 12 months in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Be able to withdraw or cancel at any point along the way.

Both Bills introduce new criminal offences for abuse of the system as well as conscientious objection or a ‘right to refuse’ protections for healthcare professionals.

However, there are some core differences between the two Bills:

• Both Bills are for people with six months left to live or fewer, but the Jersey Bill allows people with a neurodegenerative condition like motor neurone disease to apply if they have twelve months left to live.
• The Jersey Bill includes a subjective suffering element: the person believes they cannot bear the suffering the condition is causing (or is expected to cause).
• In addition to the two doctors, the Westminster Bill requires the applicant to be approved by a panel of a social worker, a lawyer, and a psychiatrist; the Jersey Bill does not require this.
• The Jersey Bill has one 14-day reflection period that can be overridden if the person will die imminently. The Westminster Bill has two reflection periods, the first is seven days, the second is 14 days; only the second can be overridden.

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 its report and recommendations in 2021 overwhelmingly supported assisted dying. Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson gave oral evidence to the citizens’ jury.

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 Senedd has voted in favour of the Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ,28 votes in favour, 23 against, 2 abstentions. My Death, My Decision has welcomed today’s vote in the Senedd, and hopes that the Westminster Parliament sees it as a vote of confidence in the Assisted Dying Bill 

The vote does not change the criminal law on assisted dying, but confirms that the Welsh Government should be able to design and oversee its own implementation of the law, rooted in Welsh values, language, and healthcare structures.

However, due to a concerted filibustering effort in the House of Lords, with a record number of amendments to the Bill, it looks almost certain that the Bill will not pass this Parliamentary session. This means the Bill will need to be brought back in a future session.

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:

‘I’m so proud of the Welsh Parliament today. I watched family members die an awful death, and 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. Giving Wales the power to tailor how the law works will protect people like me and will hopefully ensure no one has to go through what my family did.’

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

‘This decision puts fairness and dignity first. Assisted dying will still be accompanied by some of the strongest safeguards anywhere in the world, but thanks to this vote, Wales can now make sure those safeguards work properly for Welsh patients, families, and clinicians.

All eyes now return to Westminster, where a small cohort of the House of Lords is currently using game-playing and procedural tactics to put the Assisted Dying Bill in jeopardy. They cannot be allowed to frustrate the will of the public, the Commons and the Senedd.’

What is the Legislative Consent Motion (LCM)?

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.

Notes

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

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.