Do you think assisted dying should be legalised in the UK?

[Kev45]

1,000 patients a year may opt for assisted dying if bill passes, MP says.​

Fewer than 1,000 patients a year in England and Wales are expected to choose assisted dying should the law pass, the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said, as she outlined her bill setting out the change.

But MPs opposed to the measure said they were deeply concerned by several components, including that the proposed legislation did not bar doctors from suggesting assisted dying as an option to patients.


MPs who spoke on the panel expressed significant doubts about whether the legislation would pass the first parliamentary stage in the Commons on 29 November. Leadbeater said she would make the case “literally every day” but that there were strong views on all sides.

Under 1,000 patients a year may opt for assisted dying if bill passes, MP says

Kim Leadbeater outlines safeguards as some MPs worry proposal does not bar doctors in England and Wales from suggesting option

www.theguardian.com

 

[Not_Fred_Honest]

I don't think this bill will pass. Religious leaders of all faiths are apposing it with the support of disability groups.

In other parts of the UK it will be come law like the Channel islands regardless.

In May 2024, Jersey approved plans to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill adults in the Channel Islands:

• Eligibility: Adults with six months or fewer to live, or 12 months for those with neurodegenerative conditions
  
  
• Safeguards: Strict safeguards to prevent abuse and ensure informed consent
  
  
• Timeline: The law could come into effect as early as summer 2027

Give all the legal action and court cases this bill will bring, Labour will kick the can, wait and see what happens in Scotland

 

[Not_Fred_Honest]

I did watch the vote on this last week. They did pass the bill on the first reading. Its still years away from becoming law in the UK. Its a shame if you only have a short time to live.

Rishi Sunak had a hard time forcing the Rwanda bill thru and it was abandon in the end.

Keir Starmer mite find the assisted dying bill going the same way.

Catholic church view is:

Intentionally causing one's own death, or suicide, is therefore equally as wrong as murder; such an action on the part of a person is to be considered as a rejection of God's sovereignty and loving plan.

Judaism:

Jewish views on suicide are mixed. In Orthodox Judaism, suicide is forbidden by Jewish law, and viewed as a sin

Muslims:

Muslims as taking away the gift of life given by God. The Qur’an says to trust God, have faith in the mercy of God, have patience, and not to destroy life.

Church of England Synod rejects assisted suicide in overwhelming vote for the “sanctity of life” and better-funded palliative care.

And you maybe wondering why I'm talking about religious groups when so few still believe?

It comes down to the House of Lords.

The present House of Lords is unique in the democratic world in providing seats in the national legislature for representatives of an established church. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester and the 21 other most senior diocesan bishops of the Church of England are members of the House of Lords by virtue of their office, ceasing to be members of the House of Lords when they retire from their bishoprics.1 The origins of the bishops’ role as members of the House of Lords go back to the early Middle Ages, when they, along with abbots, represented some of the most powerful landed interests in the country and were among the Monarch’s chief advisers. Until the Reformation, the Lords Spiritual usually outnumbered the lay members of the House of Lords.They remained a significant minority of the House of Lords until the mid 19th century, when their number was capped at 26 and the number of new lay peerages soared.This trend has continued and was reinforced by the introduction of life peerages in 1958. In the interim House of Lords, the Lords Spiritual make up some 4 per cent of the total membership.​

I feel that statements a little out of date. Since 1958 theirs many more faiths sitting in the House of Lords and the true figures close to 20%.

All these groups will try to stop the bill passing into law.

For the last thousand years this battles being going on: Church v. State

I feel we will end up with a water down bill that will be no good to anyone