Assisted suicide debate delayed as MPs consider amendments

Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the controversial assisted suicide bill, has written to MPs confirming that the following parliamentary debate on the laws has been delayed by three weeks.

The bill passed second reading in November last yr, nonetheless critics have raised serious concerns in regards to the proposed safeguards.

Leadbeater confirmed that the following debate, which was scheduled for 25 April, will now happen on 16 May.

In a letter to parliamentary colleagues, she said, “I even have listened fastidiously to members on all sides of the problem who’ve told me that they’d welcome more time to think about the amendments made to the bill in committee and to think about the new edition of the bill in its entirety because of this of those essential changes”.

During second reading, many otherwise sceptical MPs were convinced to vote in favour of the proposed law by the requirement that any medically assisted suicide require permission from a High Court judge.

During the committee stage, this commitment was watered right down to a mere panel of experts.

Earlier this week over 100 “women of religion”, including the Bishop of London warned that the bill may very well be utilized by domestic abusers to coerce their victims into ending their lives. There are also concerns that there aren’t enough protections for those with learning disabilities and anorexia.

Despite such concerns, Leadbeater has defended the latest version of the bill, saying, “I feel the amendments in committee have significantly strengthened what was already probably the most robust assisted dying laws on the earth.”

Not everyone seems to be convinced by such claims nonetheless. Caroline Ansell, who was the MP for Eastbourne and is now Director of Advocacy and Policy on the charity CARE, has said of the bill, “That greater than five hundred amendments were tabled to alter the bill shows how unsafe it was – it still is.

“Over the last weeks, amendments fastidiously designed to present protections to vulnerable groups have been systemically voted down by Bill supporters on the committee.”