Assisted suicide usually involves a health practitioner prescribing a lethal dose for a person to administer themselves, usually by swallowing a combination of drugs.
In the United Kingdom, the Suicide Act 1961 legalised the attempt to take one’s own life, but it kept illegal the assistance of another’s death.
Assisted suicide is legal in a handful of jurisdictions globally including Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and a small number of states in the US.
Right To Life UK campaigns against any attempt to legalise assisted suicide, and for the development of palliative care services and end of life care that remove any perceived need for assisted suicide.
Large number of MPs speak out against dangerous assisted suicide Bill at Report Stage, as several MPs turn against the Bill
As the flaws and unworkability in the assisted suicide Bill came under scrutiny during Report Stage of the Bill today, two more MPs joined a number of MPs who announced earlier in the week that they will be switching their vote to oppose the Bill at Third Reading...
Scottish Health Committee raises over 30 concerns with proposed assisted suicide law
Legalising assisted suicide could lead to a “slippery slope” under a proposed Bill in Scotland, MSPs have warned in a recent report. Scrutinising proposals in Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, Scotland’s Health, Social Care and...
Amendment to Leadbeater Bill seeks to prevent secret assisted suicides among young adults
Several MPs have tabled a new amendment to Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill to prevent adults under the age of 25 from secretly ending their lives under the Bill. As the assisted suicide Bill returns to Parliament tomorrow, Labour MP Juliet Campbell has tabled...
Minimum age for assisted suicide in Scotland raised from 16 to 18 as support slips away
Liam McArthur’s decision to raise the minimum age to access assisted suicide in the Scottish legislation from 16 to 18 has been branded “a last ditch effort to save the Bill” as reports emerged that support for his assisted suicide Bill is slipping away. According to...
First Minister to vote against assisted suicide Bill in Scotland
The Scottish First Minister has said he will vote against the assisted suicide Bill set to be debated in Scotland next week. The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, which intends to legalise state-assisted suicide for residents of Scotland, is...
New poll of MPs suggests assisted suicide Bill may not pass Third Reading
Results of a new poll published in The Times today suggest the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill may no longer have the backing of enough MPs to pass Third Reading. With Third Reading of Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which intends to make...