MPs vote for bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales
GuardianNOV 20 2024
The Terminally Ill Adults Bill would allow mentally competent adults with less than six months to live to request medical assistance in ending their lives, requiring approval from two doctors and a High Court judge.The House of Commons voted 330 to 275 in favor of an assisted dying bill put forwards by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater during its second reading this Friday, marking the first parliamentary vote on the issue since being rejected in 2015.
The legislation includes strict safeguards, including a mandatory 14-day reflection period and a maximum 14-year prison sentence for anyone who coerces someone into requesting assisted dying.The Terminally Ill Adults Bill would allow mentally competent adults with less than six months to live to request self-administered medical assistance in ending their lives, requiring approval from two doctors and a High Court judge.
Recent polling shows 73% of Britons support legalizing assisted dying, though 19% oppose it in practice due to concerns about adequate regulatory safeguards.The legislation includes a mandatory 14-day reflection period and a maximum 14-year prison sentence for anyone who coerces someone into requesting assisted dying.
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