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British MPs have voted in favor of proposals to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales, in what is termed as a historic step toward changing the law.
The “Terminally Ill Adults Bill” would allow assisted dying for terminally ill adults who are expected to have less than six months to live and possess the mental capacity to make this decision. The legislation includes strict safeguards to ensure the process is carefully regulated.
MPs approved the bill by 330 votes to 275, a majority of 55.
The last Commons vote on assisted dying took place in 2015, also on a Private Members’ Bill. That vote, held under a free vote system, resulted in defeat, with 331 MPs opposing the bill, 119 supporting it, 199 abstaining, and one MP formally abstaining.
What is assisted dying?
As per Pro-change campaigners Dignity in Dying, the assisted dying helps a terminally ill person take their life if they decide their suffering is unbearable.
Who will be eligible for assisted dying?
An assisted death will be available to adults with a terminal illness who are expected to die within six months. A “clear, settled, and informed” wish must be expressed by the individual, free from pressure or compulsion, and they must be mentally capable of making a decision for their final days. Mental illness and disability are not included in the bill’s eligibility requirements.
How will it work?
A doctor will prepare the substance under the proposed law, however, the terminally ill patients themselves will take it. This process is called physician-assisted suicide.
The proposed law prohibits any medic to administer the medication to the terminally ill person. Moreover, Doctors will also not be under any obligation to take part in the process.
