De-escalation: Terminally Ill Adults Bill lapses in House of Lords

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill fell in the House of Lords after peers ran down the clock, leaving no time for a vote before the session ends next week. More than 1,200 amendments were tabled, and with private members’ bills only debated on Fridays, the available hours were exhausted.

The measure had passed the Commons last June. It would have allowed terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and an expert panel.

Campaigners plan to reintroduce the bill in the next session, which begins after the King’s Speech on May 13. Supporters published a letter signed by 190 peers urging MPs to bring it back quickly, while opponents issued their own letter accusing the sponsors of ducking safety concerns and defending the Lords’ scrutiny.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources