Assisted suicide is the ending of one's own life with the assistance of another. Physician-assisted suicide is medical assistance in helping another person end their own life for the purpose of relieving their suffering, and voluntary euthanasia is the act of ending the life of another, also for the purpose of relieving their suffering.^[1] The phrase "assisted dying" is often used instead of physician-assisted suicide by proponents of legalisation and the media when used in the context of a medically assisted suicide for the purpose of relieving suffering. "Assisted dying" is also the phrase used by politicians when bills are proposed in parliament.^[2] Assisted suicide is illegal under English law.^[3]

Section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961, as originally enacted, provided that it was an offence to "aid, abet, counsel or procure the suicide of another" and that a person who committed this offence was liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.^[4] That section has been amended by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Approximately 46 Britons a year go abroad for physician assisted suicide.^[5] Because of the inconsistencies between the law and prosecution Debbie Purdy launched a case to clarify whether or not her husband would risk being prosecuted if he helped her travel to a Dignitas clinic in Switzerland to die.^[6] Purdy's case ended on 30 August 2009 with the decision that the Director of Public Prosecutions had to clarify how the Suicide Act 1961 is to be enforced in England and Wales.^[7] In a 2010 guidance for prosecutors, the Crown Prosecution Service provided possible scenarios where a prosecution of an assisted suicide case would or would not be in the public interest, including scenarios where victims had "reached a voluntary, clear, settled and informed decision" or "was [not] physically able to undertake the act," among others. Other factors to consider include whether the assister "was... wholly motivated by compassion" and whether the assister had a history of abuse of the victim.^[8]

Assisted dying in Scots law might constitute murder, culpable homicide or no offence depending on the nature of the assistance. In 1980, the Scottish branch of the British Voluntary Euthanasia Society (now called Exit) broke off from its original society in order to publish How to Die with Dignity,^[25] which became the first publication of its kind in the world.^[12]

In a 2012 consultation on the Member's Bill proposed by MSP Margo MacDonald, 64% of the members of the public who choose to give comment on the issue rejected the proposals. A similar consultation by the Health and Sport Committee in 2014 came to a different conclusion, with 78% of responses by individuals being supportive of the proposals.^[26] Nevertheless, in 2015 a majority of MSPs including the first minister Alex Salmond voted against the bill in the Scottish Parliament, defeating it in its first stage.^[27]

In February 2019 a group of MSPs, including previous opponent Kezia Dugdale, formed to attempt to reform assisted dying law in the Scottish Parliament.^[28]

Since health is a devolved matter in the United Kingdom, it would be for the Northern Ireland Assembly to legislate for assisted dying as and when it sees fit. To date, no such bills have been tabled there.

There have been multiple challenges to the blanket ban on assisted suicide by people wanting a physician-assisted suicide, both by patients with and without a terminal illness.

In 2001, motor neurone disease sufferer Diane Pretty took her case to the House of Lords, for the right to allow her husband to assist legally in her suicide. The case was dismissed by them, and also subsequently by the European Court of Human Rights in 2002.^[33]

In 2008, multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy took her case to the House of Lords for clarification on whether her husband would face prosecution on returning from Switzerland, should he help her to travel there for an assisted death. She won, and the Director of Public Prosecutions clarified the likelihood of prosecution in this instance in 2009.^[34]

In 2012 a man with locked-in syndrome, Tony Nicklinson, applied to the High Court for the right for a medically assisted death. His case was rejected and he decided to end his life via starvation shortly afterwards. His wife ultimately took his case to the Supreme Court, in R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice, where it was rejected in 2014. The judges did rule however that they have the authority to declare the parliamentary blanket ban on assisted suicide to be incompatible with human rights law.^[35]

In 2014, the Director of Public Prosecutions further clarified the likelihood of prosecution against medical professionals. Previously, they were more likely to face assisted suicide prosecution due to their role as care givers. The DPP clarified that only those medical professionals directly involved in providing care to the concerned patient would be more likely to face prosecution.^[36] It was said that the clarification was made at the request of the Supreme Court. In 2015, the clarification was subsequently challenged in the High Court, where it was argued that the DPP was making laws as opposed to applying them.^[37] The High Court rejected the challenge against the DPP's clarifications,^[38] and the Court of Appeal subsequently denied a request to challenge the High Court's decision.^[39]

In 2017, retired lecturer Noel Conway brought his case to the High Court for the right for a medically assisted death. He has motor neurone disease and is terminally ill. His case was dismissed by the High Court, by the Court of Appeal in 2018, and ultimately by the Supreme Court at the end of 2018.^[40][41] Conway died on 9 June 2021 at the age of 71, after he and his family decided to remove his ventilator that kept him alive.^[42]

Also in 2017, a man known as "Omid T" with multiple system atrophy brought a case to the High Court for the right to a medically assisted death. His case is different from Noel Conway's in that he is not terminally ill.^[43] In October 2018 Omid ended his life in Switzerland.^[44]

In May 2019, a man who became paralysed in a car accident and now lives with excruciating pain, Paul Lamb, began legal proceedings to seek a peaceful death. His case is supported by Humanists UK.^[45]

A 2015 Populus poll commissioned by the group Dignity in Dying found broad public support for the introduction of assisted dying laws in the United Kingdom. 82% of people supported it, including 86% of people with disabilities.^[46]

Another poll showed that 54% of British General Practitioners are either supportive or neutral towards the introduction of assisted dying laws.^[47] A similar 2017 poll on Doctors.net.uk published in the BMJ said that 55% of doctors would support it.^[48] The BMA, which represents doctors in the UK, adopted a neutral position on assisted dying in September 2021. This followed a vote in which 49% of doctors supported the change. ^[49]

• Paul Blomfield^[50]
• Nigel Cox
• Len Doyal
• Rosie Harper^[51]
• Margo MacDonald^[52] MSP (19 April 1943 – 4 April 2014)
• Debbie Purdy (4 May 1963 – 23 December 2014)
• Diane Pretty (15 November 1958 – 11 May 2002)
• Tony Nicklinson^[53] (2 April 1954 – 20 August 2012)
• Terry Pratchett^[54] (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015)
• Patrick Stewart^[55]

• Humza Yousaf
• Liz Carr

• Euthanasia in the United Kingdom
• All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life
• Suicide legislation