Dr Murray said if the total ban on assisted suicide was lifted, a future legal challenge from someone seeking assisted dying, which is severely disabled but not terminally illcould succeed.

He added: “If it is possible to lift the ban for the terminally ill, why not those with non-terminal disabilities or those with chronic mental illness? Article 14 of the Convention prohibits States from discriminating on the basis of disability or illness.

The government is required by international law to amend domestic legislation to bring it into conformity with the Convention.

Professor Richard Ekins KC, head of Policy Exchange’s judiciary project, said Cabinet ministers, including the Attorney General and the Lord Chancellor, had “made it very clear that they were likely to comply » to the ECHR.

Last month, Lord Hermer KC said the country would “continue to unequivocally respect and support” the ECHR. In July, Shabana Mahmood, Lord Chancellor, said the Labor government would “uphold the international rule of law and respect human rights” in accordance with it.