The assisted dying debate has reached a pivotal moment after MPs approved a bill granting terminally ill adults in England and Wales the right to end their lives. Now, campaigners like Dame Esther Rantzen are urging the House of Lords not to block the historic legislation.
Dame Esther, who joined Swiss clinic Dignitas after her terminal lung cancer diagnosis, appealed directly to peers. “Their job is to scrutinize, not oppose,” she said. The bill passed the Commons by 314 to 291, but faces stiff opposition in the Lords.
Critics, including disability rights campaigner Lord Shinkwin, warn vulnerable people could feel pressured into ending their lives. “This bill puts a price on my head,” he said, recalling his own ICU experience where he might have opted for assisted dying in a moment of weakness.
The proposed law would allow mentally competent adults with less than six months to live to request an assisted death. Two doctors must confirm eligibility, followed by reviews from a panel and a 14-day reflection period (reducible to 48 hours if death is imminent).
Dame Esther insists safeguards are robust: “Disability won’t qualify anyone—this is only for terminal illness.” But Baroness Grey-Thompson argues more protections are needed, citing fears among disabled communities.
- The Lords could approve, reject, or amend the bill any changes would require MPs’ approval.
- If passed, implementation could take until 2029.
- Opponents hope peers will strengthen safeguards or block the bill entirely.
With the assisted dying debate now in the Lords’ hands, the UK edges closer to a profound ethical shift one balancing personal autonomy against fears of coercion. As Dame Esther put it: “Future generations deserve this choice.”
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