Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster has called for renewed opposition to the introduction of assisted suicide, as a new bill seeks to legalise the practice. The proposed law would legalise assisted suicide for people over the age of 18 who are expected to die within six months.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by the MP for Rochester and Strood Lauren Edwards, will have its second reading and vote on September 11, 2026. The bill is another attempt to introduce assisted suicide following the defeat of MP Kim Leadbeater’s bill in the House of Lords in April.
Under the Parliament Act, the passing of an identical bill in two consecutive parliamentary sessions would prevent peers from once more blocking the proposed legislation again. Edwards previously said that, in introducing the bill, she was asking the House of Lords “to finish the job”.
Archbishop Moth, who is president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said the bill was “wrong in principle”.
He stated: “It is also deeply flawed and, if passed, could lead to vulnerable people feeling pressured into ending their lives. The Bill has a serious lack of protection for health and social care staff and risks putting many wonderful hospices and care homes in the position of no longer being able to operate. I urge you to write to your Members of Parliament to petition them to vote against the Bill at Second Reading.”
Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, in a separate statement said the bill undermined “freedom of conscience for medical professionals and care workers” and required care homes and hospices to participate in assisted suicide.
“Reintroducing this legislation, once again, places the most vulnerable at risk,” he said.
“Recent debates have exposed the uneven provision of palliative care across the country. Surely what is now needed to help the terminally ill is an improvement in compassionate, high-quality palliative care, and proper hospice funding. I urge a debate about priorities in healthcare funding, especially for those living with terminal illness.”
A law legalising assisted suicide in Jersey was granted Royal Assent on July 9, with the practice expected to begin on the island late next year. A similar bill in the Isle of Man is still awaiting Royal Assent.
