How could the law change in Jersey?
Politicians in Jersey are scheduled to vote on Thursday to determine whether assisted dying should be legalised on the island. Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, is part of the British Isles but has its own legislative autonomy.
In May 2024, the States Assembly members initially supported plans to permit assisted dying for individuals experiencing "unbearable suffering." By January 2026, they had approved the principles of draft legislation that would allow qualifying adults with a terminal illness to end their life with medical assistance.
Following several days of debate, members will vote on the final legislation later on Thursday.
Separately, the Isle of Man, also part of the British Isles, passed its own assisted dying bill in March 2025. However, the legislation has not yet been enacted due to concerns raised by the UK Ministry of Justice regarding the safeguards included in the bill.
What is the proposed law on assisted dying in England and Wales?
Backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater introduced the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill as a Private Members' Bill in Parliament. She argued that many people currently endure "a horrible, harrowing death" under existing legislation.
The bill would permit terminally ill individuals to end their lives if they meet specific criteria. Once an application is approved, the patient must wait 14 days before proceeding. A doctor would prepare the lethal substance, but the patient would self-administer it.
The bill defines the coordinating doctor as a registered medical practitioner with "training, qualifications and experience" at a level to be specified by the health secretary, without specifying which drug would be used.
It would be illegal to coerce someone into requesting assisted dying, with a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years for violations.
How has the UK assisted dying bill changed since it was first introduced?
The legislation was initially supported by MPs in the House of Commons in November 2024 by 330 votes to 275, a majority of 55.
Subsequently, the bill underwent months of detailed scrutiny by a committee of 23 MPs—14 supporters including Leadbeater, and nine opponents. The committee recommended several amendments, including allowing MPs to vote freely throughout the process, without party constraints, and to support or oppose the bill or specific amendments.
On 20 June 2025, 314 MPs voted in favour of the amended proposals, with 291 against, a majority of 23. The bill then progressed to the House of Lords.
On 24 February 2026, Welsh politicians in the Senedd also supported the Leadbeater bill, with 28 votes for, 23 against, and two abstentions. If the bill receives final approval in the UK Parliament, it would automatically become law in Wales, although the Welsh government can set regulations for assisted dying services.
Had the Senedd rejected the bill, assisted dying services in Wales would have been limited to private providers rather than the NHS.
Will assisted dying become law in England and Wales?
Despite support from MPs in Westminster and members of the Welsh Senedd, the bill is not guaranteed to become law.
Private Members' Bills from backbench MPs typically fail unless passed by both the Commons and the Lords within one parliamentary session. The current session is expected to end in May 2026.
Supporters are concerned the bill has stalled in the House of Lords, where peers have proposed over 1,000 amendments. Unlike the Commons, peers generally debate every amendment, causing slow progress.
In January, former justice secretary Lord Falconer, who collaborated with Leadbeater on the bill, described the situation as "very, very difficult" and suggested a "fundamental change" in the House of Lords' approach is needed. He accused a minority of peers of deliberate time-wasting and urged them to "stop all this smoke and mirrors and focus on making the bill better." He proposed that the government could invoke the Parliament Act to override peers' objections, given the legislation's backing by elected MPs.
"It is very, very difficult to see how it could pass without a fundamental change to the House of Lords' approach," Lord Falconer said.
Opponents, including former Downing Street adviser Nikki Da Costa, argue that peers are "doing their best to patch the holes" in what she called an "unsafe, deficient bill which has no electoral mandate." She said Lord Falconer wanted the Lords "to stop doing work and just wave it through."
Leadbeater told the BBC that the government has a "duty" to help pass the bill and should "respect the will of the democratically-elected members of Parliament."
The government could allocate more time for debate in the current session or allow another backbench MP to reintroduce the bill in the next session.
How might the law change in Scotland?
The Leadbeater bill does not apply in Scotland, which legislates independently on this matter.
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill on 27 March 2024. The bill would apply to applicants who meet specific criteria.
On 13 May 2025, MSPs approved the "stage one vote" on the bill's general principles by 70 votes to 56, with one abstention. The bill has since undergone detailed scrutiny and debate, with numerous amendments.
A final vote is expected in March 2026.
Why do supporters want to legalise assisted dying?
When the Leadbeater bill was introduced, the Dignity in Dying campaign group described it as providing the "most detailed, robust proposals" on assisted dying that "Westminster has ever considered."
Chief executive Sarah Wootton highlighted that up to 650 terminally ill people annually end their own lives, often in lonely and traumatic circumstances, underscoring the need for reform.
Cancer patient Nathaniel Dye, who collaborated on the bill with Leadbeater, said it would enable people to have a death that is "as kind and compassionate as possible."
Broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer, is a long-standing advocate for change. She stated,
"All I'm asking for is that we be given the dignity of choice."
A YouGov poll in June 2025, conducted just before the second House of Commons vote, indicated that nearly three-quarters of Britons support assisted dying in principle, with 72% backing Leadbeater's proposals.
BBC research reveals that family doctors in England are divided on the issue. Over 5,000 GPs were surveyed, with more than 1,000 responding; approximately 400 supported changing the law, while 500 opposed it.
The British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing maintain a neutral stance on the matter.
Who opposes assisted dying?
Independent crossbench peer and former Paralympian Baroness Grey-Thompson is a prominent critic of the bill. She expresses concern that disabled and vulnerable individuals could be pressured into ending their lives and that doctors may face challenges in making accurate six-month prognoses.
She described the bill as "badly written" with significant gaps and noted that many amendments proposed by peers in the House of Lords aim to prevent coercion.
Actor and disability-rights activist Liz Carr, who produced the BBC One documentary Better Off Dead?, also opposes the legislation. She wrote on X that some have "very real fears based on our lived experience and based on what has happened in other countries where it's legal."
Dr Gordon Macdonald of the campaign group Care Not Killing criticized the bill for ignoring "deep-seated problems in the UK's broken and patchy palliative care system."
What are assisted dying, assisted suicide and euthanasia?
Definitions vary, but generally, assisted dying refers to a terminally ill person receiving lethal drugs from a medical professional, which they self-administer.
Assisted suicide involves intentionally helping another person end their life, including those not terminally ill, by providing lethal medication or assisting travel to jurisdictions where it is legal.
Euthanasia is the deliberate act of ending a person's life to relieve suffering, with a lethal drug administered by a physician. Patients may or may not be terminally ill. Voluntary euthanasia occurs with patient consent, while non-voluntary euthanasia applies when patients cannot consent, such as in a coma.
Where is euthanasia or assisted dying legal around the world?
Switzerland has permitted assisted suicide since 1942. Its Dignitas facility accepts foreign patients; between 1998 and 2024, it assisted 608 Britons in dying.
In the United States, 10 states and the Washington DC district allow "physician-assisted dying," enabling doctors to prescribe lethal drugs for self-administration.
Canada permits voluntary euthanasia or "medical aid in dying" (MAID) provided by doctors or nurse practitioners, either in person or via prescription for self-administration.
Assisted dying for terminally ill people is legal in Australia and New Zealand.
Several European countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, allow assisted dying.
In May 2025, MPs in France supported a bill granting some terminally ill patients the right to assisted dying, though discussions about the legislation's scope continue.
Update 3 January 2025: This article has been updated to provide additional details on the definition of a coordinating doctor.
