MPs vote to scrap High Court judge approval in assisted dying bill

UK Parliament

By Aine Fox, PA Media

A requirement for a High Court judge to approve assisted dying applications has been scrapped, with an opponent branding the expert panel suggested to replace it a “weird creature”.

A committee scrutinising the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill voted to remove a clause which had been hailed as the reason the proposed legislation for England and Wales would be the strictest in the world.

Campaigners opposed to a change in the law said the High Court safeguard was being “ditched in favour of unworkable panels”, but Humanists UK said the change was a “welcome improvement”.

When introduced to Parliament last year, the bill proposed terminally ill adults in the two nations with less than 6 months to live should be legally allowed to end their lives, subject to approval by two doctors and a High Court judge.

On Wednesday, MPs on the scrutiny committee voted 15 to seven in favour of removing the court-approval clause. Labour MP Jake Richards was absent from the vote.