Pregnancy as a Barrier: Assisted Dying and Amendment 458

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been described by many as one of the most significant shifts in the legal landscape of England and Wales in our generation. Whether this claim overstates the matter is open to debate. What is not in dispute, however, is that the Bill raises profound questions about the relationship between the state and those it governs. Unsurprisingly, its existence, proposals, and suggested amendments have generated extensive discussion and controversy. In this blog series, leading voices in the field of assisted dying reflect on the Bill, what it means for the state to sanction the deliberate and knowing ending of an individual’s life, and how we might tread a path forward.