Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury-designate, has vowed to vote against the assisted dying Bill when it reaches the House of Lords. The Bishop of London, who already holds a seat in the upper chamber, described the legislation as "unsafe" on the day her appointment was publicly confirmed.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed its second reading stage in the House of Lords last month, marking the furthest any such legislation has progressed through Parliament. Mullally indicated she and her Church of England colleagues would likely bring an amendment to vote on the Bill's principle.
"If there is an amendment that comes that is on the principle, I will vote against the assisted dying Bill," she told PA Media in an interview at Canterbury Cathedral.
Bill faces unprecedented scrutiny
The legislation is set for "unprecedented" examination by a select committee of peers this month before progressing further through Parliament. While Bills at third reading are presented to peers for approval, they are not always put to a vote.
Mullally acknowledged the House of Lords' approach to thorough examination. "I think that what is absolutely right at the moment is that the House of Lords are giving space for scrutiny and also for further exploration," she said.
She argued the Bill remains fundamentally flawed despite potential amendments. "My belief is that the Bill is unsafe, and no matter how you amend it, it is unsafe. I also recognise that I would share the view of those that are pro the Bill, that we want to ensure that people have a peaceful and pain-free death."
Alternative approach advocated
The Archbishop-designate advocated for improving palliative care instead of legalising assisted dying. "But my belief is that we should be improving palliative care, palliative care research, rather than a Bill that in a sense, is going to be most challenging to those that are already challenged in our society," she said.
She predicted Church leaders would force a vote on the Bill's core principle. "There is every possibility that, when it comes to the third reading, that the Lord spirituals will put a vote on the actual principle," she said, confirming she would vote against it.
Church divided on issue
Lord George Carey, a predecessor as Archbishop of Canterbury, has previously warned bishops against claiming to know better than the public on assisted dying. The former Church leader, who served for 11 years, is at odds with religious colleagues and argued they risk their legitimacy by blocking the Bill.
Lord Falconer, who is steering the Bill through the Lords, has warned against attempts to slow or block the legislation. "Our job is not to frustrate, it is to scrutinise," he told peers.
The draft legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Applications would require approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
