Doctors in Britain could be given the right to be able to help terminally ill people to die, a report said today.
Adults who are likely to have less than a year left to live could be given the chance to ask their doctor for a dose of medication that would end their life, the year-long Commission on Assisted Dying said.
But stringent safeguards must be in place to protect those who might not have the mental capacity to make such a choice, or who might be clinical depressed or experiencing pressure from friends or relatives.
The commission, chaired by former lord chancellor Lord Falconer, said that, under their proposals, a terminally ill person would need to be able to take the medication themselves, as a clear sign their actions were voluntary.
The findings will anger campaigners against a change in the law who have warned that it would risk increasing the pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives out of fear they might become a burden for others. It could lead to around 13,000 deaths a year, the Care not Killing alliance said.
Since new guidelines for prosecutors in assisted suicide cases were brought in in February 2010, anyone acting with compassion to help end the life of someone who has decided they cannot go on is unlikely to face criminal charges.
But assisted suicide remains a criminal offence in England and Wales, punishable by up to 14 years in prison, and individual decisions on prosecution will be made on the circumstances in each case.
The commission called for parliament to consider developing a new legal framework for assisted dying, saying that the "current legal status of assisted suicide is inadequate, incoherent and should not continue". It also called for more choice in how people die.
But one member of the 11-strong commission, the Rev Canon Dr James Woodward, said he was unable to back its majority decision, saying it was not the right time to consider changing the law until a greater ethical, moral and social consensus had been generated on the issue.
Under the proposals, the process would involve the assessment, advice, support and independent judgments of two independent doctors, with support from other health and social care professionals where necessary.
Safeguards would also be built in to ensure the eligibility criteria were met, that the person had a "settled intention" to die, and that he or she had a reliable and supported assisted death.
Other measures would be put in place to ensure the eligibility criteria were met, that the assisted deaths were reported correctly and that the lethal medication was stored and transported safely.
In September it emerged that of more than 40 cases considered by prosecutors since the new guidelines were brought in by the director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC, no one has been prosecuted.
Supporters of a change in the law say the guidelines are simply not enough, but critics warn that prosecutors risk creating "legalisation by stealth", which could "encourage more abuse and place vulnerable sick, disabled and elderly people at much greater risk".
In 2006, David Cameron signalled his opposition to changing the law on assisted suicide in a letter to pro-life campaigners. But MPs would expect to be given a free vote if the issue comes before parliament.
Last month, a British woman who travelled to Switzerland to die condemned the "cowardice of politicians" which forced her to spend her last hours away from home.
Former TV producer Geraldine McClelland (61), who was diagnosed with both lung and liver cancer, condemned politicians in a letter published just hours after her death at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich on December 7th.
The commission was set up by think-tank Demos. It has taken evidence from legal, medical and religious experts, and people with personal experiences surrounding the issue.
PA