Former chief prosecutor Sir Max Hill has called on Parliament to "finish the job" of legalizing assisted dying, arguing that the current ban does not adequately protect vulnerable individuals. He pointed out that most cases involving assisted deaths are not thoroughly reviewed, with only one in six such cases examined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), according to a new analysis by the campaign group Dignity in Dying. Between April 2015 and March 2026, 559 cases of aiding a suicide were reported to police, but only 99 were referred to prosecutors. Campaigners estimate that around 650 people in England and Wales end their own lives annually, with more than 60% of reported cases dismissed by police due to a lack of evidence, often because the legal ban forces people to act in secrecy or abroad. Sir Max Hill, who led the CPS from 2018 to 2023, argued that a modernized legal framework would provide better safeguards for the vulnerable than the current system, which has been in place for over 60 years. He criticized the existing system for offering scrutiny only after a death has occurred, which he says is too late. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which is set to return to the House of Commons, would allow adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to request an assisted death, provided it is approved by two doctors and an expert panel. The bill previously stalled in the House of Lords in April due to the large number of amendments proposed by members of the upper house. Sir Max Hill described the current situation as leaving "deeply unsatisfactory unfinished business" and urged Parliament to pass the bill. He noted that cases involving assisting a suicide are among the few reviewed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), with guidelines issued by Sir Keir Starmer during his time in the role making prosecution less likely when someone acts out of compassion. During his tenure as DPP, Sir Max reviewed 27 assisted dying cases, with only one proceeding to prosecution. He also highlighted that some cases involved grieving spouses who were under police investigation for up to 18 months before the matter reached him. He is supported by several recent DPPs, including Dame Alison Saunders and Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven, who have also called for assisted dying reform. Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voted in favor of the bill last year. The bill remains a highly contentious issue, with the government taking a neutral stance and allowing MPs to vote based on their personal convictions rather than party lines. Current Prime Minister Andy Burnham will not participate in the crucial vote on the revived bill to avoid "unduly influencing the debate." Earlier this year, Burnham stated that the improvement of palliative care funding should be addressed before considering legalizing assisted dying. Opponents of the legislation, including Labour MP Ashley Dalton, who has terminal cancer, argue that the bill is "unsafe and unworkable" and that palliative care should be fixed first. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she would again vote against the bill, arguing that the scrutiny provided by the House of Lords should not be dismissed as obstruction.