MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill has been published in full. SPUC has slammed the proposed law as being “inherently” unsafe. “No amount of so-called ‘safeguards’ can protect vulnerable people from bad legislation”, a spokesperson said.

The details of Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill were published on 11 November.

The proposed draft law for England and Wales was released a week earlier than planned after concerned MPs complained that they did not have enough time to review it before a first vote on 29 November.

According to the Bill’s eligibility criteria, applicants must be – 

•            terminally ill

•            mentally capable

•            18 years or over

•            resident in England and Wales for at least 12 months

•            registered with a medical practice

However, the definition of terminal illness that “cannot be reversed by treatment” could include non-terminal conditions such as diabetes and anorexia. Patients could potentially refuse treatment, therefore leading to a fatal outcome, meaning they might make themselves eligible for assisted suicide.

The Bill states that anyone who assists in a suicide may be imprisoned for up to 14 years if they do so outside the terms of the Bill. An accused participant could use the defense that they had a “reasonable” but mistaken belief that the patient met the criteria – a defence open to interpretation and even abuse.

While doctors are not obliged to raise the topic of assisted suicide, they are given free will to suggest it to a patient if they don’t raise it first. In Canada, several veterans suffering from PTSD have been recommended assisted suicide, engendering disgust and a sense of betrayal.

The right to total conscientious objection is not total under the Bill. While a medical professional has no duty to participate directly in assisted suicide, they would be obliged to refer patients to willing practitioners.

The Bill is also silent on the right of institutions – for example, Catholic hospices – to object to assisted suicide provision and/or referrals.

An obligatory review of the Act within five years of its passing also leaves the door open to the widening of the criteria, as has already occurred in Canada and other jurisdictions where assisted suicide is legal.

 “A slippery slope”

Daniel Frampton, SPUC’s Editorial Officer, said: “Despite claims that this Bill protects vulnerable British citizens against ‘dishonesty, coercion or pressure’, no amount of safeguarding can shield patients from bad legislation.

“The Leadbeater Bill is inherently dangerous, auguring a slippery slope that could see assisted suicide expanded within five years. In its current form already, this Bill could be applied far more broadly than its supporters suggest. The option to ‘choose’ suicide may very soon turn into pressure to die.

“This draft law is clearly on the side of doctors who want to plant the idea of assisted suicide in the minds of potentially susceptible patients. At the same time, it tramples the right of doctors to refuse to usher their patients into early graves.

“Rather than killing citizens, health services should be providing them with well-funded, timely and professional care. Even the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, says he will vote against the Leadbeater Bill because of the poor state of palliative care in the UK.

“As Streeting states: ‘I am not sure as a country we have the right end-of-life care available to enable a real choice on assisted dying… How do you make sure that people aren’t coerced into exercising their right to die, if it were available? I don’t just mean direct coercion and inducement.’”

TAKE ACTION: Lobby your MP NOW

SPUC encourages supporters and all people opposed to assisted suicide to lobby their MP now, asking them to oppose Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill.

Over half of MPs are new to Parliament and have not voted on this issue before. Many have not even thought about it, and they will be getting barrages of messages from the other side – we must make sure our voice is heard.

A tool is available on our website to help you do this. Enter your postcode to find out who your MP is, write your message, and press send.

SPUC is not providing a template text at this stage, as politicians appreciate genuine, heartfelt messages over copied-and-pasted content. MPs soon recognise if they are receiving identical communications copied and pasted from templates or campaign websites.

For a terrifying insight into the threat that assisted suicide poses to people with disability, watch Liz Carr’s documentary Better Off Dead? – available to watch on the BBC’s iPlayer.

SPUC has also compiled stories of ordinary people opposed to assisted suicide, which you can access here for free online.