What is assisted dying and where is it legal? New Bill gives Esther Rantzen 'glimpse of hope'

Esther Rantzen has said she has “caught a glimpse of hope” after a fresh attempt to legalise assisted dying was laid before parliament.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton will introduce a Private Members’ Bill in the House of Lords that would allow terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to end their lives.

Dame Esther has been campaigning for assisted dying to be legalised since she was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2023.

Writing in the Daily Express, she said: “This week, for the first time for over a year, I caught a glimpse of hope … I have dared to look forward.”

She said the first reading of the Bill had provided “light at the end of a tunnel which has trapped me for so long”.

“What we terminally ill need is to be allowed the hope that if life becomes intolerable, we can ask for help to leave it,” she wrote, saying the existing law meant anyone accompanying her on a trip to Switzerland to end her life would be breaking the law.

“The law might actually change in time for me to die peacefully at home surrounded by those I love. Suddenly my heart lifted.”

She previously said that people should have a choice about "the way we want to end our lives".

Though Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his pre-election commitment to allow a free vote on changes to assisted dying laws, he has declined to put a timetable on it.

Lord Falconer was chosen second in the ballot to introduce the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill.

It is expected to be debated over the coming year and if it receives sufficient support, it could become law.

But what is assisted dying and where in the world is it allowed? Read on to find out.

What is assisted dying?

Assisted dying, also known as physician-assisted suicide (PAS), refers to a situation in which people receive assistance, typically from a medical professional or someone else, in ending their own life. This assistance might involve providing the person with the means to end his or her life, such as prescribing or administering lethal medication.

The purpose of assisted dying is to allow individuals who are suffering from a terminal illness or experiencing unbearable pain to have some control over the timing and manner of their death.

Assisted dying is a controversial and ethically complex issue that involves considerations of individual autonomy, quality of life, medical ethics, religious beliefs and societal values. Different countries and regions have their own laws and regulations governing assisted dying, ranging from complete prohibition to legalisation under certain conditions.

The terms "assisted dying", "physician-assisted suicide" and "euthanasia" are sometimes used interchangeably but they can have distinct legal and ethical implications. In some places, assisted dying may be legal only under specific circumstances and with various safeguards in place to protect against abuse and ensure the voluntary nature of the decision.

Is assisted dying legal in the UK?

Assisted dying is illegal in the UK. Both euthanasia (the act of intentionally causing someone's death to relieve suffering) and assisted suicide (assisting someone in ending that person’s own life) are criminal offences.

The Suicide Act 1961 specifically criminalises assisting or encouraging suicide in England and Wales. In Scotland, assisting suicide is also illegal under common law. Attempts to change the law to allow assisted dying or assisted suicide have been the subject of debate and discussion in the UK, with various proposals and campaigns advocating legislative changes.

Assisted suicide is punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment in the UK.

Where is assisted dying legal?

Worldwide, assisted dying is allowed in:

• Switzerland

• The Netherlands

• Belgium

• Luxembourg

• Canada

• New Zealand

• Australia

• Washington, USA

• Oregon, USA

• California, USA

What is euthanasia?

The NHS defines euthanasia as the act of deliberately ending a person’s life to relieve suffering. It says, for example, that it could be considered euthanasia if a doctor deliberately gave someone with a terminal illness a drug the patient does not otherwise need, such as an overdose of sedatives or muscle relaxants, with the sole aim of ending the patient’s life.

Euthanasia and assisted dying are related concepts but not the same. Euthanasia can take several different forms.

Active vs passive

Purposely giving someone a lethal dose of a sedative, often administered by a doctor, is considered active euthanasia.

Passive euthanasia is sometimes described as withholding or limiting life-sustaining treatments so that a person passes more quickly. A doctor may also prescribe increasingly high doses of painkilling medication. Over time, the doses may become toxic.

Palliative care focuses on keeping people as comfortable as possible at the end of their life. For example, a palliative-care doctor might allow someone approaching death to stop taking a medication that causes unpleasant side-effects or take a higher dose of medication to treat their pain.

Voluntary vs non-voluntary

Voluntary euthanasia is described as someone making a conscious decision to seek help with ending his or her life. But the person must give full consent and show full understanding what is about to happen.

Non-voluntary euthanasia involves someone else deciding to end someone’s life, often a close family member. This is generally done when the patient is completely unconscious or permanently incapacitated. It often involves passive euthanasia, such as withdrawing life support from someone who is showing no signs of brain activity.

Self-administered euthanasia

This is when the patient administers the means of death.

Other-administered euthanasia

Someone other than the patient administers the means of death.

Assisted suicide

Assisted suicide, the other form of assisted dying, is not euthanasia.

Assisted suicide is the act of deliberately assisting another person to end his or her life. If a relative of a person with a terminal illness obtained strong sedatives, knowing the person intended to use them to effect an assisted suicide, the relative may be considered to be assisting suicide.It is also sometimes referred to as physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which means a doctor knowingly helps someone to end his or her life. This person may be experiencing pain and suffering or may have received a terminally ill diagnosis. The doctor should use the most effective, painless method.

Where is euthanasia legal?

In the UK, euthanasia is illegal and can be treated as murder or manslaughter.

“Assisting or encouraging” another person’s suicide is illegal in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. There is no specific offence for assisting or encouraging suicide in Scotland.

Worldwide, euthanasia is allowed in the following places:

• Belgium

• Canada

• Colombia

• Luxembourg

• The Netherlands

• New Zealand

• Spain

• In Australian states