What’s happening with the Assisted Dying Bill?
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, commonly known as the Assisted Dying Bill, is stuck in the House of Lords.
The Bill is currently at its committee stage, which involves detailed line by line examination of its separate parts (clauses and schedules). Because the Lords tabled over 1,200 amendments to this Bill, more than any other in history, it would take over 20 years to get through them all at the pace we’re going.
I recognise the great diligence of my colleagues in the Lords in scrutinising legislation, but they must not obstruct the will of the elected Chamber.
There are a small group of Lords philosophically opposed to this Bill, and there are some who have brought amendments that I consider clearly unnecessary, for example, Baroness Grey-Thompson has proposed 130 amendments, one of which suggests that every applicant must supply a negative pregnancy test – including men and people over 75. Another, by Baroness Coffey, proposes excluding anyone who has left the UK in the previous twelve months, banning anyone who has been on holiday or received a six-month terminally ill prognosis while abroad.
To me, these amendments are utterly ridiculous and demonstrate something called filibustering - a device used in law-making that seeks to delay or prevent a vote on legislation through extended debate or obstructionist tactics.
If the Bill does not complete all stages in the Lords by 24 April, the last sitting Friday announced, the Bill will fail. If this were to happen, it would be a grave injustice to the elected MPs who successfully voted through this Bill in June last year. There is simply not enough Parliamentary time for the Bill to pass.
I recently co-ordinated a letter to the Prime Minister, signed by over 100 MPs, requesting that time is made available in the next session of Parliament for the matter to be debated again.
I am disappointed with the current situation, but remain hopeful that a solution will be found. The will of the Commons is clear, that this Bill should pass into law. The Lords should modify legislation, not impede it.
