Assisted Dying – Whose Choice Should It Be?

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has received significant media attention in the United Kingdom over the last few weeks following the historic vote in the House of Commons on the 20th June this year. The Bill, as it currently stands, would allow a terminally ill adult with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, if:

• they have a progressive illness, disease, or medical condition that cannot be reversed by treatment, and their death is reasonably expected within six months;
• the person must have the mental capacity to make an informed decision about ending their own life, in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which capacity must be assessed at multiple stages of the process;