LONDON, Oct. 16, 2024 — A new proposal to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales was introduced in the UK Parliament on Wednesday, igniting fierce debate from senior religious leaders and opponents concerned about the ethics of allowing the terminally ill to end their lives on their own terms.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, presented by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, is set to be voted on in the House of Commons, where MPs will vote according to their conscience, free from party political lines.

While full details of the bill have not been published, reports from The Times suggest the legislation would require approval from two doctors and a judge before a terminally ill patient could proceed with assisted dying. The option would be limited to individuals with a life expectancy of six to 12 months.

Supporters and critics of the bill rallied outside Parliament on Wednesday. The last time an assisted dying bill was debated in the Commons, in 2015, it was defeated.

Currently, assisted suicide is illegal in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years. In contrast, Scotland, which has its own legal system, does not classify assisted suicide as a specific criminal offense, although individuals may still face charges like murder.

MP Leadbeater told The Times that her bill is a response to shifting public opinion on assisted dying, which has already been legalized in various European countries.

“The law needs to change,” Leadbeater said, reflecting on tragic accounts from families affected by painful deaths or those forced to travel abroad for assisted suicide. “People deserve a choice, and they’ve not got that,” she added, stressing that safeguards would be embedded in the bill.

The push for change has been amplified by a campaign led by former BBC presenter Esther Rantzen, who is battling terminal cancer.

Not everyone supports the proposal. Disability rights groups and prominent religious leaders have expressed deep concern. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby warned that the bill could lead to a “dangerous slippery slope,” allowing euthanasia for those who are not terminally ill. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the UK’s highest-ranking Roman Catholic cleric, has also urged opposition, encouraging followers to contact their MPs.

Alistair Thompson, spokesperson for the anti-euthanasia group Care Not Killing, voiced fears that the UK could follow the path of Belgium and the Netherlands, which have extended assisted dying laws to minors. “Introducing this bill would put people under pressure to end their lives prematurely,” Thompson said.

MPs will debate and vote on Leadbeater’s bill on November 29. As a private member’s bill, its passage is uncertain, but it has reignited a nationwide conversation.

Elsewhere in the UK, Scotland has already introduced its own assisted dying bill, while the Isle of Man and Jersey are also moving toward similar legislation. Internationally, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal have all legalized some form of assisted dying in recent years.