Overview
- A forthcoming government impact assessment is expected to reveal both costs and potential NHS savings from legalizing assisted dying, raising ethical and financial questions.
- Public and parliamentary polls show growing concerns about the Bill, with 56% of Britons fearing it could pressure vulnerable groups and 42% of MPs indicating opposition.
- Critics highlight the removal of High Court oversight, replaced by expert panels, as a significant weakening of safeguards in the legislation.
- Legal experts argue the Bill may breach Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, citing risks of discrimination against disabled individuals.
- Proponents of the Bill, led by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, defend its safeguards as robust, but opposition campaigns are intensifying ahead of the decisive vote.