A new bill aimed at legalising assisted dying in the UK headed to parliament, according to AP News.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the House of Commons debated allowing doctors to help people end their lives after previous court attempts to change the legal ban failed.
Labour politician Kim Leadbeater introduced the bill to give terminally ill people in England and Wales the option of allowing doctors to help them die. However, details will not be released until the end of the month ahead of a parliamentary vote.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised that lawmakers would have a “free vote,” meaning they would not be obliged to vote along party lines. Leadbeater said it was “important that we get the legislation right, with the necessary protections and safeguards in place.”
There is absolutely no question of disabled people or those with mental illness who are not terminally ill being pressured to end their lives.
The House of Lords scrutinises and amends legislation passed by the House of Commons. Although bills can be introduced in the House of Lords, they seldom become law. The legislation restricts assisted dying to adults with six months or less to live. It also requires authorisation by the High Court after receiving a declaration signed by two doctors.
However, opponents of assisted dying argue there is no way to change the law without endangering vulnerable people, according to actress Liz Carr, a disability rights campaigner. Assisted suicide, in which a patient takes a lethal drink prescribed by a doctor, is legal in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and parts of the United States.
