A UK bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales has failed to become law after unelected members of the House of Lords tabled over 1,200 amendments, effectively blocking its passage. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ran out of time on Friday, falling victim to parliamentary obstruction.

The bill, which proposed legalising euthanasia for adults with less than six months to live who had clearly expressed a wish to die, was passed by the House of Commons in June 2024. However, under parliamentary rules, backbench bills can only be debated on Fridays, limiting its chances.

More than 200 MPs signed a letter blaming 'deliberate delaying tactics pursued by a minority of peers'. Lord Charlie Falconer, the bill's sponsor in the upper chamber, accused opponents of 'pure obstructionism' and called the process 'an absolute travesty'.

Opponents of the change expressed relief. Gordon Macdonald of the Care Not Killing group said the bill was 'unsafe and unworkable', while a spokesperson for the Christian Medical Fellowship argued that 'it is not possible to construct an assisted suicide service that is safe, equitable, and resistant to placing unacceptable pressure on the most vulnerable'.

Supporters vowed to continue the fight. Rebecca Wilcox, whose mother has a terminal diagnosis, said: 'We're incredibly angry... but we're determined to get it through.' MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, said lawmakers would 'go again' in the next session, though a different MP will likely need to introduce a new bill.

Meanwhile, the self-governing British dependencies of Jersey and the Isle of Man have already approved euthanasia legislation, pending royal assent. Lawmakers in Scotland rejected a similar bill in March.

Source: www.aljazeera.com