UK Assisted Dying Bill Advances with Key Amendments and Looming Impact Assessment Challenges

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, set for its report stage on April 25, has undergone over 100 amendments, including the replacement of High Court oversight with expert panels, sparking renewed debate among MPs.

• The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalize assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, is scheduled for its report stage in Parliament on April 25, 2025.
• Significant amendments during the committee stage include replacing High Court approval with expert panels and extending the implementation timeline from two years to four years.
• The Government is working to publish an impact assessment analyzing the Bill’s social, economic, and environmental implications, but this has been delayed due to the extensive changes made during committee scrutiny.
• Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the Bill, claims the amendments have made it 'safer, fairer, and more workable,' though some MPs are reconsidering their support over the removal of High Court safeguards.
• If approved at its third reading, the Bill will proceed to the House of Lords for further debate, with its implementation potentially coinciding with the next general election cycle.

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