20th June. The Bill narrowly passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons. It will move to the House of Lords for further consideration.
16th May Update
16th May was the first part of the Report Stage debate. The debate will continue with a second group of amendments, which will probably take place on 13th June. Following this, it seems likely that the Commons debate on this Bill will conclude on 20th June with its Third Reading. If the Bill passes its Third Reading, it will move to the House of Lords for further consideration.
Just one substantive issue was put to a vote on 16th May, which relates to protecting the right of professionals, including doctors, pharmacists and care workers, to opt out if they do not wish to participate in an assisted dying process. This is to ensure that no person, including medical professionals, feels obliged to take part.
It will be after 13th June that we will know what the final Bill looks like that will be voted on at the Third Reading.
URGENT – Please continue to engage with your MP (and encourage others to do likewise). Please contact your MP regarding these 2 urgent matters:
On Tuesday 17 June MPs will debate proposals to decriminalise abortion. If either of the two amendments tabled by MPs are passed, it will be effectively permitting abortion for any reason up until birth. Please contact your MP urgently, asking him/her to vote against New Clauses 1 & 20 to the Crime & Policing Bill. Go to the following web address to quickly and easily send a message to your MP using SPUC’s webtool: www.spuc.org.uk/campaign/abortion-decriminalisation/
“The vote for legalisation of assisted suicide is likely to take place on Friday 20th June. Please write to or visit your MP before Friday 20th June to share concerns you have about Assisted suicide becoming legalised. There are some organisations lobbying to support this Bill so it is essential that we all make our views known. To find your MPs details, go to https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP. Right to life have a link to send a letter https://righttolife.org.uk/asvote and to sign an online petition https://righttolife.org.uk/petitions
previous updates
The Care Not Killing’s Petition has been EXTENDED by 1 WEEK to 31st March. This is to allow more Catholics to raise concerns over the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill with Parliament.
The number of prominent lawyers signing a new letter in favour of assisted suicide legislation has dropped by more than HALF. In November, 25 KCs signed a letter backing the Leadbeater Bill at Second Reading describing it as “a robust process involving two doctors and a judge”. However, that High Court judge “safeguard” was controversially dropped during the Bill’s Committee stage – now just 11 of the lawyers who signed the original letter have signed the new one. Now is the time to pressure MPs to vote against this Bill. (Already 142 of those who originally supported it are reconsidering their stance).