This Supplementary Order Paper amends Supplementary Order Paper No 259 amending the End of Life Choice Bill by removing an element of compulsion currently in the legislation – as indicated by the word “must” – in relation to a person who wishes to die by euthanasia or assisted suicide.

It is utterly intolerable that a person be required by law to sign and date the second part of the relevant form – which is the apparent meaning of subclause 3(a) as drafted in clause 9 (including as proposed to be amended by SOP 259) – merely because they have previously expressed a wish to receive assisted dying. This drafting anomaly should be rectified to make it clear that a person is not required to proceed with this stage of the assisted dying process if they have changed their mind.