Many politicians are still undecided whether terminally ill patients should be allowed to end their lives.
British MPs are considering a divisive bill on assisted dying for terminally ill patients that is expected to be a conscience vote.
Parliament began second reading on Friday of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would allow mentally competent adults with incurable illnesses and less than six months to live to end their lives with medical assistance. evaluated whether it should be done.
Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, opened the debate by saying changing the law would give terminally ill patients “choice, autonomy and dignity at the end of their lives”.
Supporters of the bill, which also applies in England and Wales, say it is designed to speed up death and give terminally ill patients more control. Opponents believe that vulnerable and sick people will feel pressured to end their lives to avoid burdening their families.
“To be clear, we’re not talking about a choice between life and death, we’re talking about giving people who are dying a choice in how they die,” Leadbeater said as supporters of both sides gathered outside parliament. We’re talking about that,” he said.
Two opinion polls last week showed a majority of people supported the bill, but many MPs indicated they were still undecided ahead of the free vote. When you vote, you vote according to your conscience, not according to your party. line.
Leadbeater said the bill includes “the most stringent safeguards in the world” and would require the approval of a judge and two doctors if a patient wishes to die.
However, support in Congress appears less certain, with some MPs saying the current proposal lacks detail and is subject to further research to study the legal and financial implications of changing the law. He says that corroboration is necessary.
House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle on Friday rejected a proposal by a group of MPs to halt further debate on the bill. They had previously proposed amendments that could block the bill from being voted on.
If MPs vote in favor of the bill, it will move on to the next stage of the parliamentary process, with a further vote taking place in 2025.
If Britain ultimately passes the law, it will join other countries such as Australia, Canada and some US states in embarking on major social reforms.
Encouraging or assisting someone to commit suicide has been illegal in England and Wales since the 1961 Suicide Act and can be punished with up to 14 years in prison if found guilty.
