Peers probe the right to die

Mrs Pretty claimed the government was breaching her human rights

The sensitive issue of euthanasia returned to the House of Lords on Friday, 6 June.

The Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill was launched by retired human rights lawyer Lord Joel Joffe in February and has received its second reading.

It sets out a framework to allow terminally ill adults to request medical assistance to die.

The bid to give people with terminal illnesses this right to "assisted suicide" follows recent high profile cases involving Diane Pretty and Reginald Crew.

Lord Joffe explained: "The Diane Pretty and Reginald Crew cases highlighted the pressing need to allow terminally ill competent adults greater choice in the manner of their death.

"The issue has been debated at length in the media and every poll of the last decade shows over 80% public support in favour of changing the law. The debate must now be brought into Parliament."

Mr Crew suffered from motor neurone disease and was forced to fly to Switzerland for an assisted death.

Mrs Pretty spent the last years of her life fighting for the right to choose the timing of her death - but died of natural causes after her legal battle failed.

Safeguards

Under the proposed legislation a competent adult who is suffering from a terminal or incurable physical illness would need two doctors (including a consultant) to confirm the diagnosis.

All alternatives including palliative and hospice care would also have to be fully considered.

The patient would then have to make a written declaration in the presence of a solicitor that it is his or her choice to die.

Safeguards include a waiting period after the patients has asked for help to die so he or she has time to consider the decision further, and a reporting mechanism whereby every case of assisted dying is reported to a monitoring commission.

The Bill has the backing of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society but has little chance of becoming law because it is not supported by the government.

BBC Parliament will broadcast the debate in full from 0000 BST on Saturday, 7 June