UK Parliament Members Cast Votes to Permit Assisted Dying
The UK House of Commons has supported a bill granting terminally ill patients the choice to end their own lives. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Under the proposed legislation, terminally ill adults with less than six months to live would have the right to pursue euthanasia.
Members of Parliament have cast their votes in support of a significant and contentious bill that, if passed, will legalize assisted dying in England and Wales for individuals with terminal illnesses and a prognosis of less than six months to live.
On Friday, the House of Commons backed the Terminally Ill Adults Bill with a tally of 330 votes in favor and 275 against, following over four hours of debate and a prolonged campaign led by notable activists.
If enacted, the legislation would allow those suffering from a terminal health condition with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their life by consuming a prescribed substance. Eligibility hinges upon the individual being assessed as capable of making the decision independently, with approval required from two doctors and a High Court judge. Additionally, the bill seeks to criminalize any coercion or pressure towards someone contemplating assisted dying, imposing a potential maximum prison sentence of 14 years for offenders.
The bill still faces additional legislative challenges and is expected to return to Parliament early next year. Subsequently, it must also be approved by the House of Lords. If it successfully navigates these routes, there would be a two-year period for implementation before assisted dying can become accessible.
In 2015, an assisted dying bill was decisively turned down by MPs. However, public sentiment has shifted considerably on the subject, with recent polls indicating that around three-quarters of people in the UK support the change.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak both backed the bill. Among those who opposed it were Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP and vocal critic of the proposed legislation, stated that the law would create a “state suicide service.” Opponents also expressed concerns that the bill was rushed and lacked adequate protections for vulnerable individuals.
Under the current laws in the UK, assisting someone in ending their life is illegal in England and Wales, and engaging in euthanasia is classified as either murder or manslaughter.
Notable campaigner Esther Rantzen, a BBC presenter diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, encouraged MPs to support the bill, cautioning in an open letter that it might not be brought back to Parliament for “another decade.” She remarked, “Under our current criminal law, the only choice for most people who are terminally ill, if they are facing an agonizing death, is between suffering, Switzerland or suicide.”
Countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Spain, along with some states in the US, permit assisted dying in varying capacities.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
Members of Parliament have cast their votes in support of a significant and contentious bill that, if passed, will legalize assisted dying in England and Wales for individuals with terminal illnesses and a prognosis of less than six months to live.
On Friday, the House of Commons backed the Terminally Ill Adults Bill with a tally of 330 votes in favor and 275 against, following over four hours of debate and a prolonged campaign led by notable activists.
If enacted, the legislation would allow those suffering from a terminal health condition with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their life by consuming a prescribed substance. Eligibility hinges upon the individual being assessed as capable of making the decision independently, with approval required from two doctors and a High Court judge. Additionally, the bill seeks to criminalize any coercion or pressure towards someone contemplating assisted dying, imposing a potential maximum prison sentence of 14 years for offenders.
The bill still faces additional legislative challenges and is expected to return to Parliament early next year. Subsequently, it must also be approved by the House of Lords. If it successfully navigates these routes, there would be a two-year period for implementation before assisted dying can become accessible.
In 2015, an assisted dying bill was decisively turned down by MPs. However, public sentiment has shifted considerably on the subject, with recent polls indicating that around three-quarters of people in the UK support the change.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak both backed the bill. Among those who opposed it were Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP and vocal critic of the proposed legislation, stated that the law would create a “state suicide service.” Opponents also expressed concerns that the bill was rushed and lacked adequate protections for vulnerable individuals.
Under the current laws in the UK, assisting someone in ending their life is illegal in England and Wales, and engaging in euthanasia is classified as either murder or manslaughter.
Notable campaigner Esther Rantzen, a BBC presenter diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, encouraged MPs to support the bill, cautioning in an open letter that it might not be brought back to Parliament for “another decade.” She remarked, “Under our current criminal law, the only choice for most people who are terminally ill, if they are facing an agonizing death, is between suffering, Switzerland or suicide.”
Countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Spain, along with some states in the US, permit assisted dying in varying capacities.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
