Assisted Dying Bill Stalls in Lords After Amendments Delay Progress

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which sought to introduce assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session in April 2026.

This legislative proposal had advanced through the House of Commons but encountered procedural delays in the House of Lords, where a large number of amendments were introduced and time ran out before a final decision could be reached.

The bill was designed to allow adults diagnosed with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of less than six months to seek assisted dying, provided the process was approved by two doctors and an expert panel. The measure was introduced as a private members’ bill and was sponsored in the Commons by Kim Leadbeater.

After passing the Commons in June 2025, the bill entered the House of Lords, where it faced over 1,200 amendments. The volume of proposed changes prevented the bill from progressing further before the parliamentary session ended on 24 April 2026.

What the numbers show

• The bill passed the House of Commons in June 2025
• More than 1,200 amendments were submitted in the House of Lords
• The bill failed to complete its passage by 24 April 2026

According to parliamentary records, the bill’s progress was halted due to the extensive number of amendments and the expiration of available parliamentary time. As a result, the legislative process was not completed within the session.

Lord Charlie Falconer, who was responsible for guiding the bill through the House of Lords, said in a statement that the measure did not fail based on its content but rather due to procedural actions by a minority of peers. This procedural outcome meant that the bill could not advance to the next stage.

Kim Leadbeater, the bill’s sponsor in the Commons, announced plans to re-enter the private members’ bill ballot in the following parliamentary session. Supporters have also indicated that the Parliament Act could be considered in future attempts, which would allow a bill passed by the Commons in two consecutive sessions to become law without the approval of the Lords.

The bill’s failure to complete its passage highlights the procedural complexities involved in advancing private members’ legislation, especially when substantial amendments are introduced during the review process in the House of Lords.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.