9. STUDY DAY - Exploring the Complexities Surrounding a Dignified Death

Overview: Join us for an insightful and thought-provoking study day exploring complexities surrounding a dignified death. This event will bring together experts from healthcare, law, ethics, and advocacy to discuss the choices in end-of-life care, patient autonomy, and the legal frameworks.

If you are connected to or working for a charity or the NHS, please email info@cmsuk.org, and we would be happy to offer you a membership rate for this study day.

This study day will look at many aspects relating to end of life including experts speaking on the controversial Assisted Dying Bill.

What to Expect:

• Keynote Talks: Hear from leading voices in law, healthcare, and ethics, bringing together important conversations around the importance of talking about end of life.
• Panel Discussion: Engage with our panel of experts as they debate the ethical, practical, and legal challenges surrounding making end of life decisions.
• Audience Q&A: An opportunity for attendees to ask questions, share perspectives, and contribute to this important conversation.

Who Should Attend:

This study day is designed for professionals and individuals with an interest in the legal, ethical, and practical dimensions of assisted dying, including:

• Case Managers
• Healthcare Professionals
• Legal Practitioners
• Ethicists and Academics
• Carers and Support Workers
• Policy Makers and Advocacy Groups

If you are connected to or working for a charity or the NHS, please email info@cmsuk.org, and we would be happy to offer you a membership rate for this study day.

Why Attend?

This is an essential opportunity to gain valuable insights into the ongoing debate surrounding assisted dying, understand its impact on practice, and hear expert perspectives in a respectful and collaborative setting.

Itinerary

Exploring the Complexities Surrounding a Dignified Death

Date: 28th November 2025

09:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Registration and Welcome Coffee
Attendees check in, network, and enjoy refreshments

10:00 AM – 10:05 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks
Speakers: CMSUK Directors Lisa Brown / Angie Wicks
Brief introduction to the day, objectives, and structure of the event

10:05 AM – 10:50 AM | Keynote Presentation: The Legal Landscape of Assisted Dying
Speaker: Alex Ruck-Keene KC
Overview of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: current legal framework and proposed changes.
Legal challenges and safeguards to balance patient autonomy with ethical concerns

10:50 AM – 11:30 AM | Terminally Ill Bill – Compliance with Human Rights Law
Speaker: Yogi Amin   
Exploring human rights compliance within the context of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Ethical Dimensions of Assisted Dying
Speaker: Professor Claire de Than
Exploring the ethical principles underpinning the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Challenges in implementing ethical guidelines and their societal implications

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM | Lunch Break

1:15 PM – 1:45 PM |Understanding the complexity of dying at home.
Speaker: Dawn Sears
Facilitating End of Life at home the role of the healthcare professionals navigating the bill.

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM | Honouring the Journey: Conversations, Care, and Concerns at the End of Life
Speaker: Lucy Honeysett
Reclaiming dying as a natural and normal part of life.
Emphasising the value of listening to fears and wishes, supporting individuals with dignity. Hospice care as a choice.

2:30 PM – 3:10 PM | Freedom of choice until the end: voluntary assisted dying and beyond

Speaker: Silvan Luley, DIGNITAS – To live with dignity – To die with dignity

This presentation will introduce the work of the Swiss non-profit association DIGNITAS – To live with dignity – To die with dignity. For over 27 years, DIGNITAS has advocated and educated internationally on the integration of voluntary assisted dying, suicide attempt prevention, palliative care, advance healthcare planning, and more. Its mission is to safeguard each individual’s freedom of choice, self-determination, and personal responsibility regarding quality of life up to life’s end, while ensuring access to professional support for these decisions.

3:10 PM – 3:30 PM | Coffee Break & Networking

3:30 PM – 4:15 PM | Interactive Panel Discussion
Speakers: All Presenters
An open discussion exploring the legal, ethical, practical, and human considerations surrounding assisted dying. Attendees can engage with speakers, ask questions, and share perspectives.

 

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Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon) is an experienced barrister, writer and educator. His practice at 39 Essex Chambers is focused on mental capacity, mental health and healthcare law. He also writes extensively, editing and contributing to leading textbooks, and is the creator of the website Mental Capacity Law and Policy.   Alex complements his practice with a deep interest in research and education. Amongst other positions, he is a Professor of Practice at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London and a Visiting Professor at the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory, University of West London.   Alex now spends much of his time on policy matters, including, currently, as a consultant on the Law Commission’s Disabled Children Social Care project.  In March 2022, Alex was made an honorary KC, reflecting his contributions to mental capacity and mental health law outside the court room.

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Yogi Amin
Partner & National Head of Public Law and Human Rights, Irwin Mitchell

Yogi Amin is a Partner and the National Head of Public Law & Human Rights at Irwin Mitchell, with over 22 years of specialist experience. He represents clients in complex public law and medical treatment disputes, regularly appearing in the Court of Protection and High Court. Highly regarded by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, Yogi is recognised as a leading authority in mental capacity, safeguarding, healthcare access, and judicial review, with a proven track record in shaping policy and improving outcomes for individuals.

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Professor Claire de Than is an award-winning senior legal academic of more than 25 years’ standing, and Chair of the Jersey Law Commission, currently working on a Criminal Code and on laws relating to open justice.

She has over 85 academic publications in total, including more than 15 books, chapters in leading legal monographs and edited collections, and articles in a variety of leading national and international journals, including the Modern Law Review and the Criminal Law Review. Her publications and reform proposals have been adopted by governments, regulators and professions around the world. Her legal research fields include disability rights law, media law, financial law, criminal law, comparative law of tiny jurisdictions, trusts, environmental crimes and human rights law, and she is also expert in management and finance, all of which she is able to teach at any level. She is also regularly consulted on public and strategic policy.She has been an expert for the Law Commission of England and Wales on two recent projects, and made many media appearances as a legal expert. She has advised governments large and small and many organisations on human rights and law reform issues, amongst other things. She is the Chair of several charities.

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Silvan Luley is a team member of the Swiss non-profit human rights and end-of-life-choices association “Dignitas – To live with dignity – To die with dignity”, which works to advocate and educate, implement and secure freedom of choice, self-determination and self-responsibility in life and at life’s end.

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Lucy Honeysett is a dedicated healthcare professional with over 26 years of experience in the care sector, spanning roles as a carer, nurse, and clinical nurse specialist. Her extensive career has primarily focused on palliative care, where she has worked in diverse settings, including care homes, hospices, hospitals, and supporting adults with learning disabilities.

In June 2023, Lucy took on the role of Lead Co-ordinator for Christians in Care, a network funded by Pilgrims' Friend Society. This initiative seeks to encourage and inspire Christian faith-based professionals in the care sector, while also promoting care work as a meaningful and rewarding vocation. Through this role, Lucy has become a vocal advocate on critical issues affecting the care industry, such as Modern Slavery and the implications of the Assisted Dying Bill on vulnerable populations.

Lucy is passionate about ensuring equitable access to high-quality end-of-life care and continues to contribute as a sessional advisor for her local hospice, offering support to informal carers and delivering end-of-life care training to care staff. Drawing from her professional expertise and compassionate perspective, Lucy is a strong advocate for addressing the multifaceted challenges of suffering and total pain, while raising awareness about the ethical and practical implications of assisted dying.

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With over 25 years in healthcare, Dawn Sears brings extensive expertise and compassion to her work. Beginning her career on a Head and Neck Unit, she gained valuable experience in ENT, Maxillofacial, and Ophthalmology care, shaping her empathetic perspective on end-of-life care and advocacy for open discussions around assisted dying.

Her diverse career includes roles in Custody and Forensic Nursing and over a decade as a Community Matron, where she supported patients with complex conditions, coordinated palliative care, and ensured dignified, patient-centered treatment.

Dawn is committed to improving quality of life for those with life-limiting illnesses, balancing medical expertise with deep compassion.

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Paypal or BACS transfer payments accepted only.  Please enter your name and/or invoice number as reference.
Delegate passes are non-transferrable and non-refundable.  

The member rate applies to those with a paid annual membership only and not those with a pending or lapsed membership. 

If you have any questions or queries please email us info@cmsuk.org or call 01329 446959.

Venue	Irwin Mitchell, Northcliffe, 28 Tudor St, Temple, London EC4Y 0AY
Date	Friday 28th November 2025 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Email	info@cmsuk.org