This week Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Member of Parliament for Solihull West & Shirley, starts the line by line scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in Committee.
Before Parliament, following a career as a medical practitioner for more than a decade, Neil retrained as a barrister specialising in clinical negligence and healthcare law. His experience in both the medical and legal fields makes Neil the only MP to able to contribute using his lived experience of both professions.
Commenting on his appointment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Commitee, and his recent attendances in Committee, Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP said:
As a barrister and a clinician, I know this is an incredibly sensitive area of law. My contributions to the Committee draw upon my own experiences - both personal and professional.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is the most socially consequential piece of legislation to progress in Parliament for 50 years. As a Member of the Committee, I hope to bring my professional experiences to bear as we go through the Bill line by line - tabling amendments with the intention of strengthening the safeguards.
I voted for the Bill in the Second Reading so that it could go through proper scrutiny and allow legislators, through consultation with experts, to produce a robust piece of legislation. Through this process I very much hope we can make a meaningful societal change and support those who want autonomy over their own body at the end of their life.
Over 300 amendments have been tabled with the intention of enhancing the existing safeguards in the Bill. A significant amendment proposed this week will seek to remove the requirement for a High Court Judge to reside over each application. In my opinion, the proposal of a panel would bring about stricter safeguards allowing for a psychiatrist, a social care professional, and judicial oversight. This amendment alleviates the pressure the original Bill would have put on the already overwhelmed court system whilst simultaneously reinforcing the safeguards.
