Assisted dying is a broad term that includes both assisted suicide and euthanasia. Assisted suicide is facilitated by another person, usually a doctor who provides lethal medication so that a terminally ill person can end their life (although it can also involve helping a person travel to another jurisdiction to die there). Euthanasia is the act by which a healthcare professional administers medication to end a person’s life.

What is the law in the UK?

In the UK, both assisted suicide and euthanasia are practices illegal. In England and Wales, euthanasia is considered murder or manslaughter, and “abetting or assisting” a suicide is illegal under the Suicide Act 1961. The CPS uses guidelines from complex charges which mean people will generally not be charged under the suicide law if they are motivated. out of compassion, and if the person they helped had made a “clear decision” to die; but some prosecutions still take place occasionally. (Scottish law is largely comparable.) Withdrawal or refusal of care, or the use of strong sedatives that hasten death, are considered legally distinct, if ending life is not the primary goal.

Where is assisted dying currently legal?