Support wavers for assisted suicide bill

'The more the [assisted suicide] bill is scrutinised, the more obvious it becomes how dangerous it is for the most vulnerable in our society’, the Christian Institute (CI) has said.

Just four days after the CI’s warning, it was reported in The Times that some MPs who initially backed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill are wavering because of the removal of what was considered a key safeguard. On 11 February, Kim Leadbetter who sponsored the bill, said the requirement for High Court judge to rubberstamp a patient’s decision to end their life would be dropped.

There have been broadening fears that, as drafted, any safeguards under the bill are inadequate; and terminally ill patients who feel they are a burden, or are not provided with adequate palliative care, would be more likely to choose assisted suicide.