What's happening in the assisted dying debate? The key developments
Proposals to legalise assisted dying return to Parliament on Friday backed by Dame Esther Rantzen and Sir Keir Starmer but criticised by some professional medical bodies.
MPs will take part in a five-hour session during which various amendments to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will be debated and voted on. It is possible this part of the process, known as the report stage, will run into a second day next month, meaning a vote on approval or rejection of the overall Bill would not take place on Friday.
Opponents have argued the Bill does not have enough safeguards and has been rushed through, with two royal medical colleges voicing their doubts on the legislation in its current form.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies' with the proposed legislation as it stands while the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the current Bill.
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the Bill, said it was coming back 'even stronger' when it returns to the House of Commons on Friday for the first time since a historic yes vote in November.
Read more from our media partners below or click the headlines to skip ahead
Assisted dying bill: What changes are being made to the controversial legislation and will it pass?
Five ways Kim Leadbeater is trying to rescue her assisted dying Bill
Esther Rantzen urges MPs to back 'strong, safe' assisted dying bill in vote
Royal College of Physicians adds voice of concern on assisted dying Bill
Newly proposed changes to the assisted dying bill have caused controversy as MPs weigh up whether they will continue supporting the legislation at the final vote on Friday.
Put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who tabled the original bill, the changes have reformed a major safeguarding measure that was included in the original version.
Read the full story from The Independent
Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is the furthest that Parliament has gone towards legalising assisted dying in England. MPs voted 330 to 275 in support of a law change last year, but just 28 need to switch sides for the Bill to fail at the next stage.
Ms Leadbeater has put forward a number of changes to the Bill to try and calm fears among wavering supporters and opponents, but it is not yet clear whether they will be enough.
Read the full story from The Telegraph
Esther Rantzen has urged all MPs to back Kim Leadbeater's 'strong, safe, carefully considered bill' to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, which faces its next Commons test on Friday.
In an impassioned letter, the broadcaster, who has stage-four lung cancer, said she and other terminally ill adults asked MPs to allow 'a good, pain-free death for ourselves and those we love and care for'.Read the full story from The Guardian
Another leading medical body has raised concerns about the risks of the assisted dying Bill 'failing to protect vulnerable patients', on the eve of its return to Parliament.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies' with the proposed legislation as it stands.
Read the full story from PA Media
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