A crucial parliamentary battle over assisted dying legislation resumes this week in the House of Lords, with supporters of the landmark bill demanding more time to force it through before the current session ends.
Falconer's Push for Extended Debate
Lord Falconer, the former Labour minister and a key backer of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, will formally request 'further time' for debate in Parliament's upper chamber. This move comes as peers prepare to continue their committee stage scrutiny of the bill on Friday.
The proposed legislation, which passed the House of Commons in June, has faced significant delays in the Lords. Supporters accuse opponents of time-wasting and obstruction, having tabled more than 1,000 amendments in what is seen as an attempt to sabotage its progress.
Race Against the Parliamentary Clock
The bill faces a hard deadline: it must gain approval from both the Commons and the Lords on its final wording before spring, when the current parliamentary session concludes. Without agreement by then, the legislation will fall.
To combat the delay, a motion tabled by Lord Falconer on Thursday will request extra sitting hours. This could mean the Lords starting earlier or finishing later than its typical Friday schedule, which has seen debates on the bill run from around 10am to 3pm.
Opposition and Equality Concerns
The push for longer sittings is not without controversy. Some peers have raised concerns about potential breaches of the Equality Act, arguing extended hours could disadvantage disabled and religious members.
Tory peer Lord Shinkwin, who has the brittle bone disease osteogenesis imperfecta, has highlighted the impact on his travel arrangements. Others have set out reservations regarding Jewish members wishing to observe the Sabbath and Muslim peers attending Friday prayers.
If enacted, the bill would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with a prognosis of fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. The process would require approval from two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, a senior legal figure, and a psychiatrist.
Scrutiny Versus Sabotage
While peers debate amendments—including potentially stronger assessments for young people and further safeguards against 'death tourism'—the tone of the debate remains highly charged.
Assisted dying campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen has urged the Lords not to block the legislation, warning that 'scrutiny must not tip into sabotage'. Conversely, critics argue the bill is 'badly-written' and contains 'massive gaps', rendering it currently unsafe.
The political tension was further highlighted last month when Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who opposes the bill, awkwardly paused when asked by fellow MPs to assure them the law would be safe. After a long silence, he suggested a lack of high-quality palliative care might leave some feeling 'compelled to take up an assisted death'.
The week's proceedings will therefore be a critical test of whether the controversial bill can navigate the Lords' detailed scrutiny and intense opposition in time to become law.
