What is assisted dying and where is it legal? Sir Keir Starmer says 'grounds for' ending UK ban

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed calls for a free vote on assisted dying.

Dame Esther Rantzen had earlier this week (December 19) called for such a vote in the House of Commons — eight years after it was previously voted on.

The Childline founder and broadcaster, 83, said she was considering assisted dying if her lung cancer treatment for stage four cancer did not improve her condition. 

Mr Starmer on Thursday (December 21) emphasised his respect for those on either side of the debate, telling reporters in Estonia: “On the question of assisted dying, there are obviously strong views both ways on this, which I respect.

“And that’s why traditionally, this has always been dealt with with a private member’s bill and a free vote and that seems appropriate to me.

“I personally do think there are grounds for changing the law, we have to be careful, but it would have to be, I think, a free vote on an issue where there are such divided and strong views.”

Dame Esther in May 2023 revealed that her cancer had progressed to stage four. She has since said it had been “very unexpected” that she had made it to Christmas.

In an interview with BBC’s The Today Podcast, she called for a free vote on assisted dying as she felt it is “important that the law catches up with what the country wants”.

She added that her next scan in a few weeks will tell her “whether the miracle drug is performing its miracle or whether it’s given up”.

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

Assisted dying, also known as physician-assisted suicide (PAS), refers to a situation in which a person receives 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 their 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 varying laws and regulations regarding assisted dying, ranging from complete prohibition to legalisation under certain conditions.

It's essential to note that 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.

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 to end their 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 for legislative changes.

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

Around the world, assistant dying is allowed in:

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 a patient with a terminal illness a drug they do not otherwise need, such as an overdose of sedatives or muscle relaxants, with the sole aim of ending their life.

Euthanasia can take several different forms:

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 euthanasia is described as someone making a conscious decision to seek help with ending their life. But the person must give their full consent and show that they fully understand 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 someone 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.

This is when the patient administers the means of death.

Someone other than the patient administers the means of death.

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

Assisted suicide is the act of deliberately assisting another person to end their lives. If a relative of a person with a terminal illness obtained strong sedatives, knowing the person intended to use them to kill themselves, 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 their life. This person may be experiencing pain and suffering or may have received a terminally ill diagnosis. Their doctor should use the most effective, painless method.

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.

Around the world, euthanasia is currently allowed in the following places: