The vote by MPs to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales is historic.
That means such legislation is one step closer to passing — but it’s only one step on a path that’s likely to take months. Even then, the law may take two years to come into force.
There are still a number of parliamentary hurdles that must be cleared before the Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill can become law, with five stages run by MPs and five more by peers, and further rounds of voting.
If it successfully navigates the process, we May see a change in the law. Some terminally ill adults expect to die within six months of seeking help to end their lives.
Kim Leadbetter, the MP behind the bill, told the Commons that any new law would take up to two years to implement because “this right It’s more important than rushing.”
But it is also possible that the bill may fall and not become a law.
The move was introduced by Labor MP Ledbetter as a Private Member’s Bill (PMB), a way for backbenchers to push new laws off the government’s agenda.
It was also brought forward as an issue of conscience, meaning that MPs are free to vote according to their beliefs rather than according to their party.
The first reading of a bill is a formal one, where Ledbetter reads his name in the Commons and a date is set for the next stage.
The real debate between MPs began during its second reading on Friday.
At the end of the debate, Leadbeater’s bill was supported in principle by 330 votes to 275.
It will now be examined at committee stage, where it will be scrutinized by a small group of MPs.
The report stage follows, allowing any MP to propose amendments. The Commons Speaker will decide what is debated and voted on.
After that, MPs get a final chance to vote for or against the bill in what’s called a third reading – and some may change their mind – after which all five stages go through the House of Commons. Must be repeated by the peers of the Lords.
If the peers make no further changes, the bill will be sent to the king for royal assent, which formalizes the law as an Act of Parliament.
There will also have to be a money settlement to allow for any expenses required by the bill. Only the government can introduce money resolutions.
The government may decide to intervene in the parliamentary process to change some of the usual procedures that apply to PMBs from now on – for example allowing more Commons time at report stage.
But so far she has not indicated that she plans to do so.
The PMB’s committee does not normally have the power to call experts to give evidence, but MPs approved a motion shortly after Friday’s central vote to allow it to do so.
PMBs do not have timetabled committee meetings, potentially allowing additional time to review legislation.
The Prime Minister, who voted in favor of the bill, has said that a government impact assessment will be carried out and published as the bill progresses.
Another problem is that the ministers who head the two key departments that will have to implement the legislation – Secretary Health Wes Strating and Secretary Justice Shabana Mahmood – were among the members who opposed the bill on Friday.
All bills must complete their parliamentary stages by the end of the parliamentary session of the year. These are not set in stone.
The post-report phase needs to take place during the Friday sessions reserved for PMBs, and can only run from April 25.
In practical terms, this means that the committee stage needs to be completed quickly enough to leave enough time for the remaining stages of the bill.
A particular danger to the passage of a bill may be at the report stage where, if many amendments are tabled, Parliament may run out of time to debate them all.
During the parliamentary process, when the time comes for the final vote, lobbying from both sides will continue to gain support and change the minds of MPs.