Assisted dying

Why support a change in the law?

Compassion: Our current laws are unsafe

Hundreds of terminally ill people a year are dying through suicide, mercy killings, suicide pacts, doctors giving excess morphine, or by going to Switzerland. This is unregulated and unsafe. Every single Director of Public Prosecutions has said the law is broken. Parliament’s role is to consider how to introduce safeguards for something already happening, not to decide if it should be happening in the first place.

Dignity: Shortening death and suffering

Passing the Bill will give dying adults the choice and dignity of a compassionate death within the law. People with terminal illnesses can be at peace, knowing that if, unfortunately, their suffering becomes too great, they have a dignified option.

Safety: Safeguarded assisted dying laws exist globally

For decades, countries have developed laws to prevent misuse and protect the vulnerable. 31 jurisdictions, like Oregon, Switzerland, Spain, and Australia, show that it is possible to do so.

Empathy: Assisted dying eases suffering and fear

A compassionate law would offer relief from unnecessary distress, as Dr Henry Marsh emphasised based on his 40 years as a doctor. Over 5,000 people a year die in pain, even with the best end-of-life care.

Autonomy: Dying with dignity on one’s own terms

It’s your death and it should be your decision. No one else should have the right to stop your choosing a safe and painless death. As Terry Pratchett said: ‘Either we have control over our lives, or we do not.’

Clarity: Safeguards would provide legal clarity for families

Current laws leave families in fear of investigation if a loved one seeks assisted death abroad or attempts suicide. A clear law would remove this burden, allowing families to focus on quality time together.

Democracy: The majority supports change

Over 74% of the UK public favour assisted dying. Scotland, Jersey, and the Isle of Man are progressing towards change, while England and Wales lag behind. It’s time for the law to reflect public sentiment.

What safeguards should exist?

A clearly defined process with safeguards will prevent a law enabling assisted dying from being misused. Many jurisdictions have special services to help patients navigate the assisted dying process. Examples of processes used successfully in other countries include the following:

Written consent must be made by the individual and signed by an independent witness who will not gain anything from the individual’s death.

Two independent healthcare practitioners must sign off that the individual meets the criteria on suffering, has the mental capacity to consent to end their life, and that all other options have been exhausted.

A waiting period between the first and the final assessment of two weeks. This can be waived in extreme cases of pain and suffering, or if death is imminent.

Regulation by a special body created to provide oversight of the service. This body should be able to provide information and guidance to both applicants and healthcare professionals. Some jurisdictions require a post-mortem review of every assisted death, which could be replicated in the UK.

An implementation period after the passage of assisted dying legislation in order for doctors to be trained, safeguards to be put in place, and services to be set up.

A matter of healthcare where courts, lawyers, and tribunals should not be required for every single case, as they add little expertise to the process. Medical professionals are trusted to help patients make decisions about very serious treatments, such as aggressive cancer treatments and major surgeries, without judicial input. Only extreme or controversial cases should be subjected to external reviews.

Conscientious objection should be allowed for any healthcare provider who does not wish to be directly involved, as long as this does not impede a patient’s access to the assisted dying service. We are not aware of any legislation where doctors cannot conscientiously object to the assisted dying process. The General Medical Council (GMC) already has guidance on ‘Personal beliefs and medical practice’ for doctors who wish to conscientiously object.

Protect autonomy for assisted dying decisions. Guidance and legislation can ensure that informed decisions are made without coercion. Family members should not be able to delay, disrupt, or be a barrier to an individual’s choices.

What we’re doing

We are backing Kim Leadbeater’s Bill and urge you to write to your MP to get them to do likewise.

Our work to empower people to have the choice and autonomy to be able to die with dignity includes:

• The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee published a report on assisted dying in 2024, after a year-long inquiry. We submitted written evidence, along with many people impacted by the current law against assisted dying and we have requested the opportunity to present oral evidence to the committee.
• In 2019, we co-founded the UK’s first-ever national Assisted Dying Coalition, bringing together a cross-section of organisations, campaigners, and medical professionals to advocate for a change in the law to help those who are terminally ill or incurably suffering.
• We were the only organisation to intervene in support of Tony and Jane Nicklinson, Paul Lamb, and Martin’s landmark legal case, which prompted the Director of Public Prosecution to change its guidelines on assisted dying in 2014. Since then, we have supported our members Noel Conway and Omid T’s subsequent attempts to change the law, by providing witness statements from humanist philosophers Professor Simon Blackburn, Professor A C Grayling, and Professor John Harris in court hearings in  2017 and 2018. We also did likewise in the past with Sir Terry Pratchett.
• In 2018, we backed new research into the legalisation of assisted dying in Jersey, and championed proposals to legalise assisted dying in Guernsey through the work of our section Channel Islands Humanists.
• We’ve worked consistently over the years with MPs and peers to repeatedly raise the matter in Parliament and highlight the need for a compassionate change in the law, through the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group.
• We have repeatedly briefed the UK Parliament on assisted dying, for example urging decision-makers to support Rob Marris MP and Lord Falconer’s private members bills to allow a dignified death for those who are terminally ill.
• In 2018, we published research showing that there is significant support for assisted dying amongst people with motor neurone disease (MND), with a plurality wishing to consider it for themselves, were it made legal with strong safeguards.
• In 2019, our research revealed the pressing need for reform, revealing that more than one person a week now travels to Switzerland to end their life.

We’ve also worked to reform the medical community’s stances on these issues, helping the British Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Nursing to move from hostile to neutral positions on the right to die.