❓WHAT HAPPENED: A lawmaker for Britain’s governing Labour Party has stated that pregnancy should not prevent a woman from accessing “assisted dying” under proposed euthanasia legislation.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Lord Charles Falconer and members of the House of Lords.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The debate occurred during the committee stage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the House of Lords earlier this month.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It is clear from the choice that I am supporting that we take the view that pregnancy should not be a bar to [euthanasia].” – Lord Falconer
🎯IMPACT: The debate highlights significant ethical and legal concerns regarding euthanasia, particularly in cases involving pregnancy.
A lawmaker for Britain’s governing Labour Party is arguing that pregnancy should not prevent a woman from being euthanized by the state, despite her child also being killed by the process. Lord Charles Falconer, a former Secretary of State for Justice under close personal friend Tony Blair, told the House of Lords that pregnancy should not automatically prevent a woman from accessing so-called “assisted dying” under Britain‘s proposed euthanasia legislation, as peers continue detailed scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Speaking during committee stage debates on amendments, Lord Falconer responded to concerns raised by another peer about how assisted suicide laws deal with pregnancy in other countries. Oregon was cited as requiring efforts to keep the mother alive if the unborn child is “viable,” while the Netherlands allows for aborting babies before euthanizing their mothers. Lord Falconer made clear that the approach he supports would not treat pregnancy as an exclusion. “It is clear from the choice that I am supporting that we take the view that pregnancy should not be a bar to it,” he said.
Euthanasia remains illegal throughout the United Kingdom under the Suicide Act 1961, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. However, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced as a Private Members’ Bill, has passed key votes in 2024 and 2025. If it becomes law, it would permit assisted suicide in England and Wales for terminally ill adults expected to live six months or less, subject to court approval.
The debate has drawn attention to international experiences with assisted suicide. In Canada, so-called medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has expanded significantly since its introduction in 2016. Government data indicate that by the end of 2025, the cumulative number of Canadians who have been killed through MAiD could approach 100,000, with the practice accounting for roughly five percent of all deaths nationwide. Eligibility has broadened over time, and critics argue that the rapid growth endangers vulnerable people, particularly those with disabilities or limited access to care.
Canada’s program has also been linked to organ harvesting. Reports indicate that hundreds of MAiD patients have donated organs following euthanization, with a small but notable share of deceased-donor transplants now involving individuals who died under the program. Supporters see this as a benefit to transplant recipients, while opponents warn of ethical risks.
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