Details have been revealed of an assisted-dying bill that supporters say would provide the world’s strongest safeguards.

This could mean that people with a terminal illness in the UK could end their lives “on their own terms”, according to Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the bill.

The list of guarantees offered includes a life expectancy of six months or less, the ability for the patient to take the lethal drugs on their own, and the approval of two doctors and a judge.

However, some remain strongly opposed to changing the law and believe it goes too far.

Why is medical assistance in dying controversial?

The “slippery slope” argument is a major concern.

Opponents argue that a law might initially have strict criteria (for example, restricting it to terminal illnesses and excluding mental health conditions), but that over time those criteria might be relaxed.

MP Kim Leadbeater said this had not happened in countries that introduced help to die laws.

“Where there are countries where the law is broader, that’s always how it all started,” she told Sky News last month.

“So I think There is a perception around the concept of a slippery slope, which is actually not reality. »

But there is an example: Canada has changed its laws.

This no longer requires the presence of a terminal illness – only a chronic physical condition. There were also plans to extend the laws to people with mental illnesses in March, but the move was delayed until 2027.

Other frequently raised concerns are that people might be pressured to end their lives – perhaps by a loved one who would benefit financially; that people may act because they do not want to “burden” others; or that they might make an irrational decision while depressed.

Some opponents also say it is against their religion or unethical for doctors and that the focus should be on improving palliative care to alleviate suffering.

However, those who support a change in the law, such as that relating to the dignity of dying, insist that “everyone has the right to a good death” – rather than suffering for months or years with a very bad one. quality of life.

The group says it should be an option for terminally ill, mentally competent adults.

He says more than eight in ten people support changing the law and that currently some people are being forced to choose “a solitary and perhaps violent death.”

Where else is assisted dying legal?

Countries where there is some form of assisted dying law include Switzerland, where it has been legal since 1942 to help someone die as long as the motive is not “selfish.”

The national group Dignitas made its name by allowing non-Swiss access to its clinics.

New Zealand passes law for terminally ill people with less than six months to live following a 2020 referendum.

Every Australian state also has some sort of assisted dying law. Victoria was the first to pass such legislation in 2017.

Australian laws allow a person to administer life-ending drugs themselves or to ask a doctor to do so if they are not physically able to do so.

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The Netherlands, Spain, Luxembourg and Belgium have similar laws allowing doctors to prescribe medicines and administer them in certain cases.

In Austria, two doctors must sign an application for life-ending drugs. The patient must have a serious long-term illness and wait 12 weeks to consider their choice in case they change their mind.

The law came into force in 2022, but minors and people with mental health problems are excluded.

Learn more:
Five stories that bring back the debate on assisted dying
Improve end-of-life care before assisted dying laws, charities say

A handful of US states, including California, Oregon, New Jersey and Colorado, have also taken action regarding medical assistance in dying.

A doctor can only prescribe the drugs, which means the patient must be physically capable of taking the deadly medicine themselves.

Canada has become the first Commonwealth country to legalize medical assistance in dying. It passed a law in 2016 allowing doctors to both prescribe lethal drugs and administer them.

Who is for and against medical assistance in dying?

The issue has recently received renewed attention due to campaign of Dame Esther Rantzenperhaps best known for creating the advice service Childline.

The 84-year-old suffers from stage four lung cancer and revealed last year that she had joined Dignitas.

Other well-known supporters include Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith, broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby – whose brother suffered from motor neurone disease, and actor Sir Patrick Stewart.

However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told MPs he would do so. vote against a change in the law Due to concerns, end-of-life care is not enough for people to make an informed choice.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also expressed caution.

He told Sky News he was ‘skeptical’ about the case for assisted dying due to “quite personal” concerns, largely due to his mother’s battle with bone cancer when he was a child.

Sir Ed said that thanks to nursing and palliative care, “she was able to enjoy life and be with us”.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also described the concept of assisted dying as “dangerous”.

He told BBC this could lead to a “slippery slope” with non-terminally ill people demanding it or “feeling pressured”.