Faith leaders urge Senedd to reject assisted suicide

Faith leaders in Wales have signed a joint statement urging MSPs to reject assisted suicide.

Representatives from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities called for the Senedd to withhold giving Legislative Consent for Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The signatories, including Catholic Archbishop Mark O’Toole and Revd Dyfrig Rees of the Free Church Council of Wales, warned of “serious implications” for the most vulnerable in the country if assisted suicide becomes law.

The Legislative Consent debate is scheduled to take place on 24 February. According to convention, the Senedd’s consent is required for a UK Bill to be implemented on a devolved issue. In 2024, members of the Welsh Parliament rejected a motion backing the principle of assisted suicide by 26 votes to 19. There were nine abstentions.

Treasure the vulnerable

The leaders wrote: “we share a common heritage of caring for the vulnerable, the sick and dying. This is why we believe we must speak up for those who will be most affected by this legislation.

“If this bill is implemented in Wales, many will feel insecure about the future and conclude that they are a burden on loved ones and the health service.”

They continued: “Cherishing life means building a society where nobody is seen as a burden. We must treasure and value the vulnerable, the sick and the dying among us.

“Across Wales we need to promote excellent palliative care, including support for the hospice movement.”

True compassion

The statement concluded: “Wales has a long and proud tradition of compassion and of valuing the dignity of every human life.

“True compassion does not mean ending a life. It means accompanying those who suffer, easing their pain, supporting families, and ensuring that no one feels abandoned, a burden, or without worth.”

Devolved matters

Last year, an Emeritus Professor of Law at Aberystwyth University said the Leadbeater Bill had been drafted without considering its effect on Welsh society.

Emyr Lewis indicated that the Bill “would most likely have a profound effect on matters which are clearly within the Senedd’s legislative competence”, such as the provision of health and social services.

He pointed out that if Leadbeater’s proposals had been Government legislation, rather than a Private Member’s Bill, “issues relating to devolved matters” would have been addressed before it was published.

But he explained that while there have been some discussions between the UK and Welsh governments about the Bill, “those promoting the Bill have to a large extent been flying blind to the Wales-specific consequences of their proposed legislation”.