Assisted Dying
Should we legalise assisted dying?
BACKGROUND:
Assisted dying can take two forms:
- Euthanasia – deliberately administering life-ending treatment
- Assisted suicide – deliberately assisting a person in self-administering life-ending treatment
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is a bill which proposes to legalise assisted suicide for terminally ill adults in England and Wales. This bill was introduced in October 2024 and at the current time (August 2025) of writing is with the House of Lords. Patients must be aged 18 or over and be expected to die within six months, having mental capacity to make an informed decision free of coercion.
This follows a number of challenges on the topic; in 2015 a similar bill was brought forth but was rejected in the House of Commons. At present, assisted suicide is punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment, and euthanasia remains punishable with life imprisonment.
ANSWER STRUCTURE
When it comes to opinion questions, give a balanced answer acknowledging both sides but make sure to give your views at the end.
| YES, because… | NO, because… |
|---|---|
| Respect for autonomy: assisted dying gives individuals control over their own lives | Public and government officials may fear there is a potential for coercion. Patients in a vulnerable position could feel pressure to choose death to avoid burdening close ones |
| Non-maleficence: Assisted dying can relieve suffering for individuals enduring severe, terminal illness which have no chance of getting better | There are moral and ethical concerns – challenges fundamental religious values about sanctity of life and the role of suffering and death |
| It may reduce use of costly medical interventions with little benefit, improving resource allocation | People who are given a terminal diagnosis may recover in rare cases |
KEY TERMS
These terms from the points above might spark possible follow-up questions:
- RESOURCE ALLOCATION
- Doctors often have to make decisions on how to allocate resources; for example, whether to put a younger person on a ventilator as opposed to an elderly patient. While reduction in treatment costs is framed as a positive in the table above, this further opens up the doors for coercion, especially in the view of the public.
- Should financial cost ever influence end-of-life care decisions?
- ETHICAL CONCERNS
- Amendments to the bill have been proposed to ensure that doctors who do not feel comfortable with assisted dying are allowed to opt out.
- Should doctors’ personal beliefs influence whether they participate in assisted dying?
- How does this apply to other treatment, should doctors be able to opt out on performing any treatment?
- RECOVERY
- The current terms set out in the bill state that patients must be expected to die within six months. While rare, there have been patients who have been given six months to live and then went on to live much longer.
- Do you think the possibility of rare recovery invalidates assisted dying as an option?
- ☆ Some may compare this to the death penalty. Both involve death as a permanent solution, and in both there is a possibility that a person may be proven innocent or recover on their own terms. In what ways do these two situations have further similarities or differences?