UK House of Lords blocks euthanasia bill
The upper chamber of the British Parliament has halted the advance of an initiative on euthanasia.
In February 2026, the UK House of Lords blocked consideration of a bill on assisted suicide that had previously been approved by the House of Commons – effectively stopping its progress through Parliament, European Conservative reports.
The bill concerns permitting euthanasia for terminally ill adults. It passed its third reading in the House of Commons by the narrowest of margins and was then sent to the House of Lords, where it ended up with a protracted and bitter debate.
A number of peers spoke out against the document, pointing to the absence of key safeguards for vulnerable groups. In particular, proposals were rejected that would have required mandatory checks of a patient’s mental capacity, barred coercion or pressure on patients, and excluded pregnant women from the category of potential recipients of “assistance in dying.”
The peer overseeing the bill in the upper house said it may be possible to bypass the House of Lords by using the Parliament Acts, which allow the House of Commons to pass legislation without the consent of the peers. According to experts and MPs, such a move could likely trigger a constitutional crisis.
Earlier, more than 350 disability-rights organizations, along with representatives of the medical community, opposed the initiative. Critics of the bill warn that adopting it without revision could bring grave social and ethical consequences.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that France’s Senate blocked a euthanasia bill.
