MPs on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee have tonight passed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, with extensive amendments, many of which have strengthened the Bill considerably. However, right at the end of all the debates, MPs voted to change the maximum time the Government can spend to implement assisted dying from two years to four. No other jurisdiction in the world has taken four years to implement an assisted dying bill. Humanists UK has welcomed the Committee’s work, though it expressed dismay at the likely delay in implementation.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented:
‘We welcome the work of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill Committee, which has made many considerable improvements to the Bill. This includes replacing the High Court in the Bill with expert panels. However, we regret the decision to change the implementation deadline from two years to four.
‘Many other countries already have safe assisted dying laws and none of them has taken more than 19 months to implement them, apart from one that was subject to a court challenge. So it really shouldn’t have to take four years for the one here. If it does, people who need this change in law will continue to die in ways not of their choosing.’
Approved proposals in Jersey include an implementation period of 18 months, and while not on the face of the Bill, it has been reported that legislation in the Isle of Man that passed today (Tuesday) will likely be implemented in less than 18 months. Tom Gordon MP spoke against the move to four years in England and Wales, sharing his own family’s experience of wanting – and, unfortunately, possibly needing – the Bill sooner than now looks like it may be available.
The Bill will now move onto its next stage, Report Stage – a debate before the whole House of Commons where it faces further amendments. This is expected to take place on 25 April.
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan@humanists.uk or phone 07456200033.
If you have been affected by the current assisted dying legislation, and want to use your story to support a change in the law, please email campaigns@humanists.uk.
Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to ‘Humanists UK’.
International implementation periods:
| Jurisdiction | Date law passed | Date implemented or first legal death | Approx. time between (months) |
| Switzerland | Decriminalised 1942 | n/a | n/a |
| Oregon (USA) | 8 Nov 1994 | 27 Oct 1997 | 35 |
| Netherlands | 10 Apr 2001 | 1 Apr 2002 | 11 |
| Belgium | 28 May 2002 | 23 Sep 2002 | 3 |
| Washington (USA) | 4 Nov 2008 | 5 Mar 2009 | 4 |
| Luxembourg | 2 Mar 2008 | 16 Mar 2009 | 12 |
| Vermont (USA) | 20 May 2013 | 20 May 2013 | 0 |
| California (USA) | 5 Oct 2015 | 9 Jun 2016 | 8 |
| Canada (Federal) | 17 Jun 2016 | 17 Jun 2016 | 0 |
| Colorado (USA) | 8 Nov 2016 | 16 Dec 2016 | 1 |
| Washington, D.C. (USA) | 19 Dec 2016 | 18 Feb 2017 | 1 |
| Victoria (Australia) | 29 Nov 2017 | 19 Jun 2019 | 18 |
| Hawaii (USA) | 5 Apr 2018 | 1 Jan 2019 | 8 |
| New Jersey (USA) | 12 Apr 2019 | 1 Aug 2019 | 3 |
| Maine (USA) | 12 Jun 2019 | 19 Sep 2019 | 3 |
| Western Australia | 19 Dec 2019 | 1 Jul 2021 | 18 |
| New Zealand | 17 Oct 2020 | 7 Nov 2021 | 12 |
| Spain | 18 Mar 2021 | 25 Jun 2021 | 3 |
| New Mexico (USA) | 8 Apr 2021 | 18 Jun 2021 | 2 |
| Tasmania (Australia) | 22 Apr 2021 | 23 Oct 2022 | 18 |
| South Australia | 24 Aug 2021 | 31 Jan 2023 | 17 |
| Queensland (Australia) | 16 Sep 2021 | 1 Jan 2023 | 15 |
Humanists defend the right of each individual to live by their own personal values, and the freedom to make decisions about their own life so long as this does not result in harm to others. Humanists do not share the attitudes to death and dying held by some religious believers, in particular that the manner and time of death are for a deity to decide, and that interference in the course of nature is unacceptable. We firmly uphold the right to life but we recognise that this right carries with it the right of each individual to make their own judgement about whether their life should be prolonged in the face of pointless suffering.
We recognise that any assisted dying law must contain strong safeguards, but the international evidence from countries where assisted dying is legal shows that safeguards can be effective. We also believe that the choice of assisted dying should not be considered an alternative to palliative care, but should be offered together as in many other countries.
Read six reasons we need an assisted dying law.
Read more about our analysis of the assisted dying inquiry.
Read more about our campaign to legalise assisted dying in the UK.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 130,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.