MP defends removal of scrutiny by high court judge, as critics say change is ‘rushed and badly thought out’

Kim Leadbeater has said her assisted dying bill for England and Wales will still have the strongest safeguards in the world despite the removal of scrutiny from a high court judge, as opponents derided the change as “rushed and badly thought out”.

The Labour MP’s decision to replace the signoff by a court with an expert panel including a lawyer, psychiatrist and social worker caused significant alarm among MPs who had voted for the bill on the basis that a high court judge would oversee each case.

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/11/kim-leadbeater-assisted-dying-bill-worlds-strongest-safeguards