By using her second-place position in the Private Members’ Bill ballot, Lauren Edwards MP has put assisted dying back on Parliament’s agenda.

Lauren Edwards ©House of CommonsLaurie Noble

About the filibuster of the Assisted Dying Bill: 

The Terminally Ill Adults Bill failed in the House of Lords after nearly 1,300 changes to the Bill were proposed, a record for any parliamentary Bill. 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.

We have identified several instances of peers being explicitly clear that they were trying to block the Bill by means other than it being voted down.

The Bill fell because it didn’t complete all its parliamentary stages by the end of the session.

About the Parliament Act and Private Members’ Bills

If the same Bill is approved twice by the elected House of Commons, it does not require the House of Lords’ approval, and can become law without them.

The Bill still goes through every single step, including the House of Lords again. The only thing the Parliament Act does is ensure that the elected politicians have the final say, not the unelected Lords. The House of Lords can still debate, suggest changes, and vote on the Bill. The only thing it cannot do is block it again. If the Bill is filibustered in the House of Lords again, or if it is voted  down, or suggest changes that wreck the Bill that the House of Commons rejected, the Bill would still become law.

Graham Winyard, Co-chair for My Death, My Decision, said:

‘Parliament now has a chance to correct a democratic wrong, and we welcome this Bill being brought back by Lauren Edwards MP. But this is no moment for complacency. This reform should already be law. MPs backed it, the public backed it, and it should never have been derailed by a small group of unelected peers.

‘While politics catches up, terminally ill people continue to suffer behind closed doors in homes and hospitals. It is indefensible that the only route to an assisted death remains a journey to Switzerland, open only to those who are fit enough to travel, wealthy enough to afford it, and willing to die far from the people and places they love.

‘This Bill is back. Parliament must now finish the job it started.’

Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:

‘We congratulate Lauren Edwards MP on bringing back the Assisted Dying Bill. It’s correcting an injustice after it was undemocratically filibustered in the House of Lords. We cannot let a small group of unelected peers dictate the choices all of us have at the end of our lives. 

‘We look forward to supporting Lauren as she navigates this Bill through Parliament a second time. We hope MPs look past the campaign of disinformation, and give terminally ill people choice and compassion at the end 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 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.

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.

Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are both members of the Assisted Dying Coalition, along with Friends at the End, Humanist Society Scotland, and End of Life Choices Jersey.

The post Lauren Edwards MP announces return of the Assisted Dying Bill after Lords filibuster appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

My Death, My Decision has said Monday’s Commons debate underlined the strength of public feeling over the way the Assisted Dying Bill was blocked from becoming law, despite having passed the House of Commons.

The debate was triggered after more than 114,000 people signed a petition calling for Bills, backed by MPs and the public, to be allowed to complete their passage through Parliament. My Death, My Decision said that level of support shows people understand exactly what happened to the Bill and do not accept it as a legitimate outcome.

During the debate

MPs from across the Commons used Monday’s debate to express their frustration with what had happened.

Andrew George MP, who has been drawn in the Private Members’ Bill ballot, said:

“I have seen people on both sides of the debate were disgusted with the way a small minority of their Lordships were able to abuse powers available to them, not to scrutinise, but to block the bill.”

Lizzie Collinge MP said the Bill:

“was prevented from completing its parliamentary journey by a small number of unelected peers who, in my opinion, showed through their own actions that they had no respect for the constitutional settlement of this country, no respect for the House of Commons, no respect for their own role as scrutineers and no respect for the British public.”

She also spoke about the reality of the current law, saying:

“Where does that leave us? It leaves us in a dangerous status quo where terminally ill adults, with the means to do so, go abroad to die, often too early. It leaves us with a legal situation where the manner of someone’s death and the intention of the people who are with them are determined after someone is dead and can not make their views known. It leaves hundreds of terminally ill adults taking their life every year, often in very upsetting circumstances.”

Dr Simon Opher MP, who has clinical experience and served on the Bill’s Commons Committee, said:

“I would take issue with the fact that this is not a good piece of legislation. I have worked in palliative care for many, many years. This is an excellent piece of legislation. Saying it is weak is simply a tactic because you don’t agree with assisted dying.”

At the end of the debate, Leader of the House Sir Alan Campbell also confirmed that there is a route for the Terminally Ill Adults Bill to be brought back in the Commons, stating that the Parliament Act “applies to all public bills – that includes Private Members Bills.”

What happened in the Lords?

More than 75 hours were spent debating the Bill in the House of Lords, in addition to more than 100 hours in the House of Commons. The Lords transcript ran to 607,077 words, longer than War and Peace. Nearly 1,300 amendments were tabled in the Lords, yet only three minor changes were made.

Campaigners said the Bill deserved proper scrutiny, and they supported that. What followed was something different: scrutiny used as a weapon by a handful of unelected peers to stop the Bill reaching a fair conclusion.

Examples of amendments included a proposed pregnancy test requirement for all applicants, including men, a one-year holiday ban for applicants, and an unworkable requirement for half a dozen GP visits.

Why this matters now

The Government’s own response to the petition states that the primacy of the House of Commons is an established constitutional principle reflected in the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949. Hansard Society has also said the Parliament Acts can apply to Private Members’ Bills, and has published analysis of how that route could work if the same Bill returns and is approved again by the Commons.

My Death, My Decision said the Parliament Act exists for exactly these situations: where the elected House has made its view clear, and the unelected House has prevented the matter reaching a final decision. It would not remove scrutiny. It would stop scrutiny being used to kill the Bill by delay.

Terminally ill people are still waiting, and Parliament is still waiting too. No MP has yet announced they will bring the Bill back through the current Private Members’ Bill route, leaving no settled path forward at a time when public pressure is plainly growing, not fading.

What happens now?

Terminally ill people are still waiting, and Parliament is still waiting too.

No MP has yet announced they will bring the Bill back through the current Private Members’ Bill route, so there is still no settled path forward. But Monday’s debate showed that public pressure is not fading.

We are now calling for:

• MPs supportive of reform to state clearly whether they are prepared to bring the Bill back
• the Government to recognise that the Bill fell because of delay, not defeat
• Parliament to ensure that a Bill backed by the elected House cannot again be lost through procedural obstruction

Ends

Notes to editors

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interviews upon request.

For further information, the media should contact Kerry Hogan at Kerry.Hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or 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.

The post Public pressure grows over peers blocking assisted dying bill backed by MPs appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

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.

The post Government Cannot Ignore Assisted Dying Reform After King’s Speech Silence appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

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.

The post Democracy failed today. The Lords “let down the hopes of the nation” as the Assisted Dying Bill falls appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

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 post “Dying people are paying the price” – rally at Parliament as Assisted Dying Bill nears collapse appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

Join us in Parliament Square on Wednesday, 22 April.

We will gather alongside our coalition partners at Humanists UK to show that this movement will not be silenced by delay.

This is a critical moment, but it is not the end.

Just two days later, on Friday 24 April, the bill faces its final session in the House of Lords, when it will almost certainly fall. If it falls, it is not because support has disappeared, but because a small number of peers have used procedure and prolonged debate to run down the clock.

Dying people and their loved ones have fought too hard, and waited too long, for this moment to simply pass. If Parliament fails them now, we will not go away.

We are angry, and we know many others are too. If you have shared our frustration as this bill is delayed and talked out, we need you to show up if you can.

Date: Wednesday 22 April
Time: 9 AM to 12 PM
Where: Parliament Square, Westminster, SW1P 3JX
Meeting point: Meet at the Winston Churchill statue
Closest station: Westminster

Please RSVP today.

We are the many, not the few.
If a handful of unelected peers block this bill by running down the clock, we will not accept it, and we will not stop.

Bring your voice, bring your energy, and bring a homemade poster if you can. We will also have placards available on the day. Rally your friends and help us show Parliament that this movement will not be silenced by delay.

The post Stand with us for assisted dying reform appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

My Death, My Decision has launched a new Crowdfunder to help keep up the fight for choice, dignity and compassion at the end of life. The campaign aims to raise £10,000 by 5th June.

A Bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales has already been backed by MPs, but it still faces the risk of being blocked. As our Crowdfunder page explains, a small group of peers in the House of Lords continues to delay the Bill with a huge number of amendments and a painfully slow debate. If they succeed in running down the clock, the Bill will simply fall.

That is why this Crowdfunder matters.

We are a small grassroots campaign with a big task. Right now, our team is responding to political developments, briefing supporters, engaging the media, organising public campaigning, and making sure the voices of terminally ill people and families are heard. But public support alone is not enough, and the truth is that this work takes money.

Your support will help us keep going at the level this moment demands, and help fund the work needed both now and in the weeks ahead.

Your donation will help our small team keep this campaign moving, from supporter emails and digital campaigning to media work, rallies, campaign materials and the behind-the-scenes organising needed to keep pressure on Parliament.

This campaign is also about real people.

One of the people backing the appeal is Clare Turner, who lives in Devon and was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2021. Clare wants the choice of an assisted death if her suffering becomes too much, and wants to protect her daughters from witnessing a long and painful death. As she says, “I shouldn’t be preoccupied with the fear of how much I am going to suffer as I die or how awful the experience will be for my daughters to witness. To be swamped with fear as you die is just so cruel.”

The public has consistently been clear where it stands. British Social Attitudes findings showing 79% support for assisted dying in cases of terminal illness, and also references polling showing 83% say the Bill should be brought back in the next parliamentary session if it runs out of time.

If you believe terminally ill adults deserve more choice at the end of life, please donate today. And if you cannot donate right now, sharing the Crowdfunder will still make a real difference. You can support the appeal here: Help us protect and assisted dying Bill at risk

The post Support our Crowdfunder to keep up the fight for assisted dying reform appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

Statistics published by Dignitas (Full name ‘Dignitas – To live with dignity – to die with dignity’) show that 2,385 people in the UK were members as of 31 December 2025, up from 2,231 in 2024. That is an increase of 154 people in a single year.

And this is part of a much bigger pattern. In 2020, Dignitas had 1,409 members in the UK. Since then, that number has grown by around 69%.

43 people from Great Britain had an assisted death at Dignitas in 2025, up from 37 the year prior, bringing the total number of Brits who have died at Dignitas to 651 since 1998.

These new figures provide yet more evidence that growing numbers of terminally ill people in Britain are looking abroad for reassurance and control at the end of life because they cannot get that choice at home.

The figures come at a time of growing frustration over continued attempts to delay the Bill’s progress through prolonged debate in the House of Lords.

Dave Sowry, co-chair at My Death, My Decision, who accompanied his wife Christy to Dignitas in September 2022, said:

“It is horribly unfair that terminally ill people in Britain are still being driven to look abroad for a choice they should be able to have at home.

These are people already living with fear and uncertainty, yet instead of being supported with compassion in their own country, they are left to travel, often alone & at great cost, to a clinic in Switzerland.

And that unfairness feels even crueller when, in England and Wales, dying people and their families are still being made to wait while this Bill is slowed and stalled at every opportunity in the House of Lords. The need has not gone away, and if anything, these figures show that more people are still being left without the choice they want at the end of life. ”

Dignitas is not the only organisation that allows international members to have an assisted death, meaning the number of UK citizens who have travelled to Switzerland to die is much higher.

Notes

Dignitas recorded 15,968 members worldwide at the end of 2025, with the UK making up almost 15% of that total.

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

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

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

In 2024, the Assisted Dying Coalition produced a report detailing where in the UK residents have come from before having an assisted death abroad.

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 post New figures show a continued rise in Britons turning to Dignitas as Lords’ delay drags on appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

My Death, My Decision said the result is a travesty for terminally ill adults and their families, and a profound missed opportunity after years of scrutiny, debate and clear public support for reform. MSPs have ultimately failed to act for the very people this Bill was designed to help, denying dying people in Scotland the choice and autonomy they deserve at the end of life.

Patricia Donoghue, from Glasgow, is a former nurse whose husband Kevan died from a rare bile duct cancer after weeks of suffering. Patricia has spoken publicly about the PTSD she experienced after his death and about her belief that, had assisted dying been available, Kevan would have chosen it.

Patricia Donoghue said:

“I can’t easily put into words how devastating this vote is for families like mine. My husband Kevan suffered terribly at the end of his life, and that experience stayed with me for years. No family should have to watch someone they love go through that when a safer, more compassionate choice could exist.

“What more are dying people and their families expected to do to prove the need for change? The evidence is there. The stories are there. The public support is there. And yet people are still being told to wait. Wait for what, and for how many more years?

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

“The Scottish Parliament has failed the terminally ill people of Scotland.  MSPs have allowed themselves to be swayed by religious minorities and unfounded scaremongering. This is a bitterly disappointing result for terminally ill adults in Scotland and for the families who have campaigned, shared their stories and waited far too long for change.

“The public has been clear time and again, in Scotland and across the UK, that dying people should have a choice at the end of life. Concerns about safeguards have been raised and addressed through extensive scrutiny. It is outrageous that parliamentarians are still standing in the way of change. Dying people themselves do not have the luxury to keep waiting for politicians to get this right, and they are the ones who pay the price.”

During debate, Liam McArthur, the bill’s sponsor, reminded MSPs:

“Not passing this bill has consequences. The issue won’t go away. Indeed, numbers affected will only rise. All we do by putting off changing the law is push decisions overseas and behind closed doors.”

The Bill would have allowed eligible terminally ill adults in Scotland to legally request an assisted death. To qualify, a person would have needed to:

• Lived in Scotland for at least 12 months
• Be registered with a Scottish GP
• Be terminally ill
• Have mental capacity
• Be reasonably expected to die within six months of assessment

Individuals would first have signed an initial declaration, been assessed independently by two medics including consideration of any pressure or coercion, and then completed a reflection period of 14 days, reducible to 48 hours if death was expected sooner. If they still wished to proceed, they would have made a second declaration before being provided with an approved substance, which the Bill said must be self-administered.

The vote comes after extensive parliamentary scrutiny. Over 300 amendments were debated during Stage 3, a high number by Holyrood standards, and a clear demonstration of just how much scrutiny this Bill has been given. Recent constituency-level polling said support for a change in the law exists in every Scottish constituency, with 78% support overall.

Notes

• The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced by Liam McArthur MSP on 27 March 2024. The Bill passed Stage 1 in May 2025 by 70 votes to 56, and entered its final parliamentary stage this month. It reached Stage 3 in the Scottish Parliament and fell on Tuesday 17 March 2026.
• Under the Scottish Parliament summary, the Bill would have allowed terminally ill adults in Scotland, who met the eligibility criteria, to lawfully request and receive assistance by health professionals to end their own life.

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.

My Death, My Decision is a member of the Assisted Dying Coalition, along with Friends at the End, Humanist Society Scotland, and End of Life Choices Jersey.

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

The post Scotland denies dying people choice as assisted dying Bill falls at final vote appeared first on My Death, My Decision.

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.

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