U.K. lawmakers finalized the passage of the Terminally Ill (Adults) Bill on Friday, which will legalize assisted dying in England and Wales under specific conditions.
During the third reading in the House of Commons, the bill received 314 votes in favor, 291 against, with 39 abstentions, passing with a narrow majority of only 23 MPs. It is expected to become law pending approval from the House of Lords.
The legislation, introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and initially approved in December 2024, permits terminally ill adults—those with a prognosis of six months or less—to request and receive assistance to end their lives, provided certain safeguards are met.
The bill stipulates that “a terminally ill person can make a decision to end their own life if they have the ‘capacity,’ aged 18-plus, reside in England or Wales for at least 12 months, and are registered with a local doctor.” Approvals from two doctors and a decision panel, which must include “a senior attorney, psychiatrist and a social worker,” are required.
The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) issued a statement lamenting the decision and calling Christians to remain anchored in the hope found in Jesus Christ.
The spokesperson issued a press statement asserting, “this week, our nation has walked across the Rubicon,” lamenting not only the legalization of assisted dying but also referring to the decriminalization of abortion, according to Christian Daily International.
He added, “Each of these votes serves to unravel the cords that bind society to life, to truth, and to love. All people—people made in the image of God—have lost their right to the State’s protection of their life from the womb to their last natural breath.”
“For our first nine months in utero, and in our last months and years of life, we will no longer share the same protection from intentional killing that, for generations, all of us have lived enjoying and expecting.”
The CMF also emphasized the importance of hope in Jesus Christ for Christian opponents of the bill, reflecting “on this dark day for our nation and consider what comes next.”
The bill was previously examined by a cross-party committee with 23 MPs, and a number of amendments were made at the committee stage. During the second reading, it was further discussed in the House of Commons.
The legislation specifies that “the decision to request assisted dying can only be allowed if he or she ‘has a clear, settled and informed wish to end their own life, and has made the decision that they wish to end their own life voluntarily and has not been coerced or pressured by any other person into making it.”
