NU
Sun, 22 June 2025
London - Britain's parliament has voted in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying.
On Friday (20th June), the bill was passed by 314 votes to 291, a majority of just 23 in the House of Representatives (lower house of the British parliament).
The "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)" law would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less left to live the right to choose to end their lives with medical help.
The bill now proceeds to Britain's upper chamber, the House of Lords, where it will undergo months of scrutiny.
Australia, Canada and some U.S. states allow assisted dying.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer voted in favour but his party did not issue a whip to its MPs thereby allowing them to vote on the basis of their conscience.
Supporters of the bill say it will provide dignity and compassion to people suffering, but opponents worry that vulnerable people could be coerced into ending their lives.
One of the biggest worries, for supporters of assisted dying, is that the Bill could run out of time, the BBC reported.
Bills generally have to complete all their stages within one session. Government bills can be "carried over" to a second session, but because the assisted dying bill is a private members' bill it can't be.
The bill took almost seven months from its first debate to completing its steps in the Commons. Supporters of the Bill expect it to take several months to pass the Lords.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rpdxz11d8o
(Photo courtesy: BBC)
