A Bill to allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards, to be assisted to end their own life; and for connected purposes.
House of Lords
21 October 2024
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
If passed, the bill would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, but only under strict safeguards. People would need to be 18 or over, have capacity, make a voluntary, informed wish, and have a terminal diagnosis with a prognosis of up to six months; their declaration would require support from both their attending doctor and an independent doctor, with High Court approval. A new regulatory framework would govern prescriptions, reporting, and the registration of the death as an “assisted death”, and the act would take effect two years after enactment, while protections for conscientious objectors and anti-coercion measures are included.
The bill was published for the Lords and has completed its first reading; it is currently at the second reading stage in the Lords. The material provided does not list any amendments or committee recommendations.
Generated 21 February 2026
26 Jul 2024
First reading took place on 26 July. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the bill's journey through the Lords.
What happens next?
Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the bill - is yet to be scheduled.
The bill would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, requiring the person to be 18+, have a voluntary, informed wish, and be diagnosed as terminal with a prognosis of up to six months, with capacity and residence requirements. A declaration must be supported by an attending doctor and an independent doctor, and High Court approval is needed; safeguards cover coercion, information about care options, and penalties for breaches. It creates a regulatory framework with prescriptions, codes of practice, annual reporting, and new death registration as 'assisted death', with the act taking effect two years after enactment and protections for conscientious objection.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
