Assisted suicide: What can we expect in 2025?

In November, a majority of MPs backed an assisted suicide Private Members’ Bill from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. This vote received wide coverage in the media. However, this is by no means the end of the process – there is a long way to go for this Bill to become law, with opportunities to amend it or discard it in both the House of Commons and House of Lords. Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are also considering a separate Bill from Liberal Democrat politician Liam McArthur. This blog considers what’s happened so far with these Bills, and what we can expect in the coming months.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater won the right to introduce her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill last year in a ballot. Because her name came top, she has been able to get parliamentary time to take her proposal forward.  

The process for Private Members’ Bills (PMBs) is different to that for other Bills at Westminster (for example, government legislation). PMBs are usually on relatively minor changes to laws and matters that aren’t contentious. There is real concern that the PMB process is not the right one for assisted suicide – a hugely controversial proposal, with massive implications for the whole of society. Sadly, concerns about this have not led to the Bill being withdrawn.  

The Bill had its First Reading in the House of Commons on 10 October – a formality that usually takes place without debate. On 29 November, the Bill had its Second Reading. At this stage, MPs debate the general principles of the legislation. It is normal for Bills to pass their Second Reading, and whilst this usually happens without a vote being needed, for some Bills a vote will take place. Sadly, a majority of MPs (330 to 275) agreed that the Bill should move forward, meaning it could proceed to Committee Stage.  

Kim Leadbeater’s Bill has now been referred to a Public Bill Committee, made up of 23 MPs, which will consider the provisions of the Bill (rather than the mere principles) line by line. This Committee has issued a brief call for written evidence, stressing the need for input from people with specific knowledge, and will also take oral evidence from some expert witnesses. MPs will also consider amendments to the Bill before Committee Stage concludes and the Bill proceeds to Report Stage, where all MPs will have a chance to put forward amendments. After this comes Third Reading, which will often happen on the same day as Report Stage, where MPs will again consider the general principles of the Bill with the benefit of the scrutiny of Committee and Report Stages in mind, and be given the option to vote the Bill through to continue its progress or vote the Bill out and cease all further deliberations and debate.  

When these stages have concluded in the Commons, the Bill will go over to the Lords, where it will go through a very similar process, receiving scrutiny from Peers. It may then return to the Commons so that any amendments made in the Lords can be considered, a stage informally known as “ping-pong”. After this, and barring any legal challenges to the legislation from opponents, it will go on to receive Royal Assent and become an Act of Parliament.

Leadbeater Bill timeline  

A rough timeline for the Bill stages is included below.  

Commons stages (concluding circa April 2025)  

First Reading > Second Reading > Committee Stage > Report Stage > Third Reading  

Lords’ stages (concluding circa August 2025)  

First Reading > Second Reading > Committee Stage > Report Stage > Third Reading  

Consideration (“ping-pong”)

(consideration of Lords amendments)  

Royal Assent  

Bill becomes an Act of Parliament (the date at which various provisions of the Bill come into force will be specified in the Bill itself)

We will update supporters on the progress of the Bill as it moves through its various stages. If you’d like to stay informed, please consider joining CARE’s mailing list.

Liam McArthur MSP’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is also a Member’s Bill. It was formally introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 27 March last year after achieving the necessary support from other MSPs for it to be taken forward (at least 18 signatures).  

It is now undergoing Stage 1 scrutiny by a lead committee (Holyrood’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee). The Committee held a call for views between 07 June and 16 August last year and is now in the process of taking oral evidence from various groups. CARE for Scotland will give evidence to the Committee on Tuesday 21 January, alongside other critics of the McArthur Bill. The Scottish Government and Liam McArthur himself are also due to give evidence in the coming weeks.

When the Health Committee has finished taking evidence and studying submissions from the wider public, it will produce a Stage 1 Report, which summarises evidence taken and states whether the ten MSPs on the committee support the general principles of the Bill. After this, the whole Parliament will hold a Stage 1 debate and vote on the Bill, where it considers the report and decides whether the Bill should proceed to Stage 2.  

If the Bill proceeds to Stage 2, it will return to the Health Committee, where it will undergo line-by-line scrutiny and amendments. Committee MSPs and others will have the opportunity to amend the Bill, but any change must get majority support from Committee MSPs. The Bill will then go back to the whole Parliament for a Stage 3 debate and vote. Amendments can be laid, debated, and voted on at this stage and there is a final vote on whether the Bill should become law. If it passes, it will go on to receive Royal Assent.  

McArthur Bill timeline  

A rough timeline for the Bill stages is included below.  

Stage 1 scrutiny (concluding circa April 2025)  

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Stage 1 report, expected February.  

Stage 1 debate and vote involving whole Parliament, expected April.  

Stage 2 (concluding summer to autumn 2025)  

If Parliament agrees the Bill at Stage 1, several months of line-by-line scrutiny will ensue.  

Stage 3 (circa autumn/winter 2025)  

A final Stage 3 debate could take place late in 2025.

We will update our Scottish supporters on the progress of the Bill as it moves through its various stages. If you’d like to stay informed, please consider joining CARE for Scotland’s mailing list.