The Assisted Dying Bill proceeded from its Second Reading in the House of Lords today – in spite of over 60 Peers speaking to oppose the Bill – as is convention. It is the accepted custom of the House of Lords for Bills to move to Committee Stage without a division.
In response, Danny Kruger MP, the Chairman of the APPG on Dying Well, said:
“This is the fourth assisted suicide Bill introduced into the Lords to have received its customary Second Reading, in line with House of Lords convention[Joffe I & II; Falconer], none have gone on to become law. Given the unexpectedly high number of Peers speaking passionately against the Bill today, it now seems likely that this Bill stands little prospect either.”
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Officer of the APPG, added:
“Nothing in this bill plugs deficits in care – it won’t solve suffering, nor improve care. Assisted suicide is not always a quick and easy death. Some reawaken and die of natural causes later – none repeated the experience.
This is not a job for doctors already on their knees after the pandemic — this Bill is not safe.