Peers to scrutinise assisted suicide law amid growing opposition

The House of Lords is to debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at its second reading on Friday 12 September, following the measure’s passage through the House of Commons.

The private member’s bill, brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to seek medical assistance to end their lives. It passed the Commons earlier this summer, just seven months after MPs first debated the subject.

The legislation received its first reading in the Lords on 23 June. This stage was purely procedural, with no debate, and the second reading on 19 September will be the first opportunity for peers to consider the bill in detail.

Its advance through the elected chamber marked an unusual success for a backbench bill, which typically faces a precarious route to the statute book. MPs allowed the bill to be determined on its merits, rather than derailed by procedural tactics, and it cleared its Commons stages on a free vote.

Attention now turns to the Lords, where peers are scheduled to begin formal debate on 19 September, following an initial sitting on 12 September. If the Lords amend the bill, the text will return to the Commons for further consideration in a process of parliamentary “ping-pong.”

There has been speculation over whether peers might reject the legislation outright, owing to numerous flaws in its legal framework. The Lords has previously considered a series of assisted suicide bills without passing them into law, with proposals tabled in 2014, 2020, 2021 and 2024.

The unelected chamber includes many members with expertise in fields directly affected by the bill, such as medicine, law, and disability rights. While the Salisbury Convention—which discourages peers from blocking government manifesto commitments—does not apply in this case, it is unusual for the Lords to reject outright a bill already passed by MPs.

Nevertheless, the timetable for scrutiny may prove critical. The last attempt to legislate on assisted suicide in the Lords, a decade ago, stalled under the weight of hundreds of amendments. Peers have the right to move and speak to every amendment, meaning debates could consume significant parliamentary time.

Opponents warn that even a limited assisted suicide law risks undermining protections for vulnerable groups. Lord Shinkwin, who himself has a disability, stated: “This Bill would put a price on my head – on the head of so many disabled people.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has also registered its opposition. In written evidence submitted to MPs on the Assisted Suicide Bill Committee earlier this year, the bishops argued that life is a sacred gift to be cherished until natural death, and that any change in the law would have damaging social consequences.

They expressed concern that the term “assisted dying” masks the reality of assisted suicide, and warned that such legislation would undermine trust between doctors and patients. They also pointed to research highlighting the inaccuracy of medical prognoses, arguing that the vulnerable could be placed at risk by premature or mistaken judgments.

The bishops further cautioned that legalisation could have a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities and the elderly, particularly amid wider pressures on health and social care. Citing international examples, they argued that once assisted suicide is legalised, its scope tends to expand beyond the limited circumstances initially intended.

Instead, the bishops urged greater investment in palliative care, welcoming the legal requirement introduced in 2022 for integrated care boards to provide such services. They reiterated their commitment to supporting the sick and dying through pastoral care, hospices, and hospital chaplaincy, and reaffirmed their opposition to any law permitting assisted suicide or euthanasia.

If a former MP, MSP, MS or MLA for your area is now a member of the House of Lords, you can write to them, highlighting issues with the Leadbeater Bill and urging them to oppose it. More information on how to do so can be found at Care Not Killing.

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(Photo credit: HENRY NICHOLLS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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