An inquiry into Britain’s ban on assisted dying will be Dawn Voice-Cooper’s legacy, say activists.
The Health and Social Care Committee has revealed it will begin hearing evidence from medical experts, campaigners and countries where assisted dying will be legal from the new year.
The move comes just over a year after campaigner Mrs Voice-Cooper called for a Parliamentary inquiry from her deathbed.
Dawn, 76, had hoped the Government would develop safe laws to allow the sick and dying to end their lives with dignity at home.
After hearing the news, Alex Pandolfo, who accompanied Dawn to Switzerland for her assisted death, told the Mirror: “This is Dawn’s legacy. I am sure that Dawn would be ecstatic.
“Dawn said if an inquiry comes about it would give her death more meaning in a way that helped others.”
The inquiry will examine the role of medical professionals, access to palliative care, what protections would be needed to safeguard against coercion and the criteria for eligibility.
Committee chair Steve Brine said: “What has changed in recent years is that there is now real-world evidence to look at. Some form of assisted dying or assisted suicide is legal in at least 27 jurisdictions worldwide.
“Our inquiry will examine that evidence, hearing from all sides.”
Campaign groups have welcomed the step as an "important milestone" in the fight for assisted dying legislation in Britain.
Trevor Moore, chair of My Death My Decision, said: “I am so glad that parliament is at last examining assisted dying - something for which we have been campaigning for years. We know that many of the people we support, people who are incurably suffering and people who have witnessed a loved-one’s painful death, will welcome this news.
“People who are incurably suffering deserve the right and freedom to make decisions about the end of their lives.”
Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, called for the inquiry to listen to terminally ill people and their loved ones.
She added: “Every day, dying people are being forced to make impossible decisions between suffering, suicide or seeking the compassion of another country.
"The message from the public to politicians couldn’t be simpler; you cannot ignore this any longer."
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said: "People who are terminally ill or incurably suffering desperately need this kind of detailed scrutiny of the law.
"We hope it will look at the evidence from the many countries around the world that now have assisted dying like Spain, Belgium, and Canada."
