Peers have come under fire for suggesting amendments to the assisted dying bill that have been deemed unnecessary and unkind in an attempt to block the proposed law change.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, a leading advocate for legalizing assisted dying, accused members of the House of Lords opposing the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill of trying to sabotage its progress.
The bill aims to permit terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with less than six months to live, to seek an assisted death after approval from two doctors and a panel comprising a social worker, senior legal expert, and psychiatrist.
Concerns have been raised that time is running out to pass the bill before the parliamentary session ends in the Spring, potentially jeopardizing its chances of becoming law. However, critics argue that such significant legislation requires thorough examination.
Leadbeater expressed disappointment over more than 1,000 amendments proposed, labeling many as unnecessary and some as outright cruel. She highlighted specific amendments, such as filming a dying person’s final moments, which she deemed intrusive and heartless.
Another contentious amendment suggested that a dying individual must not have left the country in the past year, preventing them from bidding farewell to loved ones overseas.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a former Paralympic champion opposed to assisted dying, defended the amendments, stating they aimed to address gaps in the legislation and prevent coercion.
The bill was endorsed by MPs in June, but progress in the Lords has been sluggish, with only 80 out of over 1,150 amendments discussed, sparking concerns of deliberate delaying tactics to thwart its passage into law.
While peers are not supposed to obstruct legislation part of the government’s electoral mandate, the assisted dying bill was not part of the Labour manifesto and was introduced by backbencher Leadbeater as a private member’s bill.