The UK's assisted suicide bill faces uncertainty as proposed changes to safeguard vulnerable individuals have been criticized. Critics argue that the removal of judicial oversight weakens protections, raising concerns about potential coercion.
The legalization of assisted suicide is in jeopardy after campaigners were accused of significantly weakening promised safeguards. Members of Parliament who previously supported the bill are reconsidering their stance amidst an uproar over the removal of judicial oversight in the process. Opponents argue that this change undermines the fundamental protections that were initially touted by the bill's architect, Kim Leadbeater.
\Leadbeater had previously convinced the House of Commons to support the bill by emphasizing that judicial oversight would provide the most robust safeguards against vulnerable individuals being coerced into ending their lives. However, her revised proposal, dubbed 'judge plus,' involves lawyers, psychiatrists, and social workers instead of judges in approving applications from terminally ill patients seeking assistance in dying. \This shift has sparked significant backlash. Lee Anderson, an MP from the Reform Party, was the first to publicly withdraw his support, stating that the bill's credibility is diminishing and that it appears to be being pushed through regardless of concerns. Rupert Lowe, another Reform MP, expressed his disappointment, stating that the process has been handled in a bullying, unfair, and reckless manner. He pledged to vote against the bill unless these issues are addressed. \Other prominent MPs who voted in favor of the bill in November, including former ministers Sir David Davis and Alistair Carmichael, have indicated that they will carefully review the new proposals before making a decision. Meanwhile, ten Labour MPs who opposed the bill in the autumn issued a scathing critique of Leadbeater's handling of the issue. They accused her of breaking a promise made during the second reading, where MPs were assured of High Court scrutiny for each assisted dying application. The group expressed concerns that the bill is now flawed, rushed, and not fit for purpose. \Leading Conservative opponent Danny Kruger condemned the removal of High Court approval, calling it a key safeguard that was used to secure support for the Assisted Suicide Bill. He criticized the proposed panel, which does not include a judge, for operating in private without considering arguments from opposing sides. \In response, Leadbeater defended the new proposal, stating that public proceedings would be conducted while respecting patient confidentiality. She argued that the involvement of three experts in this additional layer of scrutiny is a positive change. Layla Moran, the chair of the Health Select Committee, echoed this sentiment, expressing her support for the amendment as a workable way to ensure strong safeguards remain in place without overburdening the courts
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