Former Supreme Court judge among those to appear before assisted dying committee
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A former Supreme Court judge and England’s chief medical officer are among witnesses due to appear before the assisted dying committee next week. Lord Sumption and Professor Sir Chris Whitty will be among some 40 witnesses questioned as a group of MPs prepares to undertake formal scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Others to appear between Tuesday and Thursday next week include former director of public prosecutions Sir Max Hill, who has previously stated his support for the Bill. Following the three days of evidence, which will also feature academics and palliative care professionals, line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill will begin on February 4.
As the 23 MPs on the assisted dying committee met formally for its first session on Tuesday, members were reminded of the need to be “civil and courteous” to each other amid a tense start. The Bill, which received a historic yes vote in the Commons in November to pass its first stage, will be scrutinised in the coming weeks as calls persist from some quarters for strengthened safeguards if a new law is to come into force.
The reminder on acting with “customary candour and decency”, from committee chairman Sir Roger Gale, came as a leading opponent of the Bill, Conservative MP Danny Kruger, argued against members sitting in private on Tuesday to discuss witnesses who might give evidence.
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the Bill, said it would be “inappropriate to discuss named individuals” in the context of their suitability, and asked that the committee sit for a short time in private to agree names, before returning to public view.
