Campaigners advocating for assisted dying are set to request the House of Lords to extend its sitting hours, either by starting earlier or finishing later, to ensure timely passage of the relevant legislation.
Concerns are mounting among proponents of the bill that it may not successfully navigate all the necessary parliamentary stages within the allotted timeframe.
A formal motion has been submitted to the Lords, urging peers to agree to allocate “further time” for deliberation on the bill.
One potential solution involves extending the customary Friday debates, although this could potentially conflict with the observance of Shabbat by some Jewish members, as the weekly religious ceremony commences at sunset.
Lord Shinkwin, who is disabled, has previously expressed concerns that extending Friday sittings would be discriminatory towards him, given his pre-arranged travel commitments.
Should the House of Lords approve the motion, private discussions among peers would then commence to determine the specific amount and timing of any additional time granted.
Reaching a consensus on this matter would necessitate agreement from all factions within the Lords.
Sources close to those opposing the bill have indicated they are unlikely to support the allocation of extra time.
Members of the House of Lords have proposed over 1,000 amendments to the bill, a figure reportedly unprecedented for legislation introduced by a backbench MP.
Supporters of the bill view this as a deliberate delaying tactic, arguing that unelected peers should respect the will of the House of Commons, which approved the bill last year.
Critics, however, deny any intention to obstruct the bill, asserting that it lacks adequate safeguards for vulnerable individuals and requires substantial revisions before it can become law.
The bill must complete all parliamentary stages before the next King’s Speech, expected in early May according to BBC sources.
Failure to meet this deadline would result in the bill’s abandonment.
Nonetheless, proponents of the bill believe that rarely invoked powers to limit the Lords’ ability to obstruct legislation could enable its reintroduction for a second attempt.
The Parliament Acts stipulate that a bill can become law without the Lords’ approval if rejected by the House of Lords in two successive parliamentary sessions.
This outcome would depend on either the government allocating parliamentary time for the bill or an MP successfully securing a high position in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills at the commencement of the new session.
The effect would be to delay the bill’s enactment until 2027.
A source close to Kim Leadbeater, the backbench MP who introduced the bill, stated: “This issue requires resolution. It is imperative for Parliament to determine its position. It is preferable to do so now rather than repeat the entire process.”
The motion, tabled by Lord Charlie Falconer, a prominent supporter of the bill, proposes that “in order to allow the House to complete its scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and return it to the Commons in reasonable time before the end of the current parliamentary session, further time should be provided for consideration of the Bill.”
Supporters are optimistic that this will encourage peers to expedite their deliberations. However, numerous individuals, including the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, remain resolutely opposed.
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