Overview
- Peers unanimously backed Lord Falconer’s motion to provide further debating time for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
- Under parliamentary rules the bill must complete all stages before the session ends, likely in May, or it will fall.
- More than 1,000 amendments at committee stage have slowed progress, with supporters alleging filibustering and opponents insisting rigorous scrutiny is necessary.
- Government sources signal reluctance to allocate additional time to a private member’s bill as pressure grows to prioritize government legislation.
- The bill would permit medically assisted death in England and Wales for people with less than six months to live, subject to approvals by two doctors and a multidisciplinary panel.