Assisted dying: what are the ‘slippery slope’ fears in England and Wales?

One concern is that human rights challenges from people denied access to assisted dying could force an expansion of the law that MPs did not anticipate. Photograph: Chris Hepburn/Getty Images

One of the arguments that has come to the fore in the debate surrounding whether assisted dying should be legalised in England and Wales is the “slippery slope” theory – that even if the legislation contains watertight qualifying criteria and safeguards, the law will inevitably be expanded in time and the restrictions loosened. Here is an explanation of why lawyers disagree about the likelihood of this happening.

Won’t clearly defined legislation prevent a slippery slope?