Labour’s controversial Assisted Dying Bill has sparked fresh outrage after it was revealed that one of its key safeguards—the requirement for High Court approval—has been scrapped in favour of an “expert panel.”
Critics warn this is just the beginning of a slippery slope, with MPs now questioning whether the so-called “world’s strongest safeguards” are already being eroded before the bill has even become law.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is leading the bill, announced that a new Voluntary Assisted Dying Commission will replace the role of a judge in approving assisted deaths. Instead of each case requiring sign-off from the High Court, panels of three experts, including psychiatrists and social workers, will decide who qualifies for assisted dying.
While Leadbeater insists this change will “enhance” safeguards, critics argue it removes crucial legal oversight and hands power to unelected panels operating behind closed doors.
Backlash Over Scrapped Safeguard
The removal of judicial scrutiny has sparked anger from MPs who believe the bill is being watered down before it has even passed into law.
Conservative MP Danny Kruger slammed the amendment as a “disgrace.”
He warned: “Approval by the High Court – the key safeguard used to sell the Assisted Suicide Bill to MPs – has been dropped. Instead, we have a panel, NOT including a judge, of people committed to the process, sitting in private, without hearing arguments from the other side. A disgrace.”
Critics have long warned that once assisted dying is legalised, the conditions under which it applies will inevitably expand over time, following patterns seen in other countries. The latest move, they argue, is proof that the process is already becoming more lenient before it has even passed Parliament.
Labour ‘Bulldozing’ Through Plans
Ben Habib, Chairman of the Great British PAC, was among those sounding the alarm over Labour’s handling of the bill, warning that the state should not be given the power to end the lives of its own citizens.
He said: “The assisted dying bill is not yet law and already ‘safeguards’ are being removed. The simple fact is the state should not be mandated in any way whatsoever to kill its own citizenry. No imagination required to know where this leads.”
Opponents argue that Labour is rushing through the legislation without adequate checks and balances. The Commons voted in favour of legalising assisted dying by 55 votes in November, but the bill is still under scrutiny in committee.
The proposed law would allow terminally ill patients with less than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, but critics fear that removing judicial oversight will make it easier for vulnerable people to be pressured into ending their lives.
Ministers Under Fire
According to reports, the latest amendments were made in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health, with ministers from both departments sitting on the bill’s committee. Some MPs believe this raises serious questions over the bill’s independence and transparency.
While Labour insists that the changes strengthen safeguards, MPs opposed to the bill argue that it is a clear sign of parliamentary overreach—with critical protections being stripped away without proper debate.
One amendment being discussed this week would require doctors to present patients with palliative care options before discussing assisted death, a move intended to prevent coercion.
The Beginning of a Slippery Slope?
MPs against the bill say it has not been sufficiently thought through, and argue that Labour’s approach sets a dangerous precedent.
Kruger and other critics warn that without robust judicial oversight, the bill risks being expanded in the future—potentially opening the door for broader assisted dying measures down the line.
With Labour forging ahead, the debate is set to intensify in the coming weeks. The fundamental question remains: is this a compassionate measure for the terminally ill, or the start of a dangerous new chapter in state-sanctioned death?
