Britain’s parliament voted in favour of a new bill to legalise assisted dying on Friday, opening the way for months of further debate on an issue that has divided the country and raised questions about the standard of palliative care.
After a passionate debate in the House of Commons, the lower house of parliament, 330 lawmakers voted in favour of the “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)” bill with 275 against.
Under the bill, mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales who are assessed by doctors to have six months or less left to live would be allowed the right to choose to end their lives with medical help.
Those in favour of the bill say it is about shortening the death of those who are terminally ill and giving them more control.
02:17
‘Not legally compliant’: suspects detained after woman dies in Sarco suicide pod in Switzerland
‘Not legally compliant’: suspects detained after woman dies in Sarco suicide pod in Switzerland
But opponents say vulnerable ill people may feel they should end their lives for fear of being a burden to their families and society, rather than for their own well-being.