Supporters of assisted suicide in the United Kingdom achieved a significant victory on Friday, 20 June, with the approval of a draft bill legalising assisted death. The debate now moves to the House of Lords, the upper house, where it could be analysed for three to four months.

The “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill” was passed by a narrow margin. 314 MPs voted for the draft law and 291 voted against it.

An analysis on the BBC called it the “biggest vote regarding bodily autonomy since the legalisation of abortion in Great Britain in 1967”.

In summary, the law will allow terminally ill people with a life expectancy of six months or less, and in full possession of their mental faculties, to request assisted death. After making two statements of their “clear and informed” intention, they must obtain the support of two doctors who confirm that they meet the conditions for requesting death and that they have not been coerced into the decision.

The case would then be referred to a psychiatrist, a social worker and a lawyer, and if approved, the person would have a final “reflection period” of between 48 hours and 14 days before assisted death could be granted.

If the law is passed, the UK’s National Health Service would have to set up a specialist assisted dying service. The current UK Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, of the Labour government, voted against the bill.

The debate surrounding assisted suicide has generated intense social debate, including within the churches in the UK. Its final approval is seen by both its opponents and its supporters as a historic change in relation to the dignity of human life.

Among the members of Parliament from the Labour majority that have voted against the bill, is the Christian MP David Smith, who, together with his Labour colleague Blais McDogall, argued in a press article that “what we do know is this bill will change what we mean by the term ‘health care’ in this country: from ‘Do No Harm’ to ‘Assist Death’. The ethical, practical and financial implications of this are essentially unquantifiable”.

Evangelical Alliance: “A devastating vote”

The Evangelical Alliance UK has been one of the organisations closely following the political debate, which started in 2015, when a bill on assisted dying was rejected for debate.

Danny Webster, who has worked with the EAUK advocacy team on the political debate, said it was an “absolutely devastating vote on assisted suicide”.

Absolutely devastating vote on assisted suicide.

In supporting Kim Leadbeater's assisted suicide law MPs have failed to stop a dangerous, unworkable and immoral policy. This law will undermine the value of life and place vulnerable people at greater risk.

— Danny Webster (@danny_webster) June 20, 2025

“In supporting Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide law, MPs have failed to stop a dangerous, unworkable and immoral policy. This law will undermine the value of life and place vulnerable people at greater risk”.

The Evangelical Alliance has repeatedly expressed its frustration that “politicians have not listened to the chorus of concerns, from across the political divide, from experts in every relevant field that this law should not be passed”.

“The social contract has been torn up”

Among the voices calling for the law to be stopped are the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, as well as associations of people with disabilities.

The organisation representing many churches and organisations in the public sphere has said it will continue to work to try to stop the law before its final approval and to promote palliative care.

But its UK director, Peter Lynas, acknowledged that the vote on assisted suicide and the approval of the decriminalisation of abortion just two days earlier had caused great sadness in large parts of the population. “The social contract has been torn up this week”, Lynas said on social media. “The state can now help kill you if you are too old and won't protect you if you are young. A dark week at Westminster on abortion and assisted suicide”.

Other civil society organisations such as the Care Not Killing campaign have tried to convince the majority of parliament to vote against the law. Christian Concern and Christian Institute has also done so.

Groups such as Dignity in Dying and Humanists UK were among those who welcomed the law as ‘a historic step towards meeting the aspirations of the public, who overwhelmingly support having choice, dignity, and compassion at the end of their lives.’

Meanwhile, in Scotland, dozens of church leaders have warned about the “fundamental ethical shift” that the assisted suicide law would mean.

In France, the National Assembly backed a new assisted dying law in May.