A proposal to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill patients in England and Wales was introduced this week in Britain’s House of Commons.
The bill, which has already prompted emotional public debate in Britain, is set to be debated formally in Parliament on Nov. 29, and a vote on the proposal will be held soon after. If it passes the initial vote, it would be scrutinized in committees and subject to further votes, including in the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Parliament.
It would be the first time in nearly a decade that British lawmakers vote on assisted dying, a once-taboo practice that has seen increased interest and legalization among Western countries in recent years. Here’s what to know:
What is the current law in Britain?
It is illegal to assist someone in the act of killing themselves in Britain. The proposed legislation only covers England and Wales, but a similar bill is being considered by Scotland’s Parliament.
Still, it is difficult to convict someone in these kinds of cases. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the public prosecutor for England and Wales, 187 cases of assisted suicide have been referred to courts in the last 15 years; only four have been successfully prosecuted.
It is not legal to assist someone’s suicide in Scotland, but prosecutors there have said it is exceedingly unlikely that anyone would face charges for doing so, assuming the act was fully voluntary.
What is allowed in other countries?
Assisted dying has been legalized in many parts of Europe and North America in the 21st century. Many European countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, permit assisted dying under certain circumstances. In the United States, assisted dying is allowed in 10 states and in the capital, Washington.
The policies vary, but most include age limits, medical exams, certain requirements for physical and health condition, and waiting periods. In U.S. states where it is legal, it is typically up to physicians to determine a prescription of drugs for a person seeking an assisted death, according to Death With Dignity, a group that advocates for more lenient laws around assisted dying.
Britain’s ban on assisted suicide has led some people to travel abroad to end their lives. Dignitas, an assisted-dying organization based in Switzerland — long considered a leader in assisted dying policies — told British lawmakers last year that it had helped 540 British citizens die within Swiss borders.
What is being debated now, and why?
The bill, introduced by Kim Leadbeater, a Labour lawmaker, would allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with medical assistance, subject to strict protocols. Although the full details of the bill have not yet been published, it is expected that it would allow assistance only for people who had been given a limited prognosis, such as up to six months to live.
Ms. Leadbeater was able to introduce the bill after she was one of a group of backbench lawmakers selected in a lottery to bring new proposals before Parliament.
The debate over assisted dying practices was reignited in December, when the celebrated British broadcaster Esther Rantzen said she would consider traveling abroad to end her life, given her diagnosis of terminal lung cancer. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he promised Ms. Rantzen that his government would allow a debate and a vote on the subject.
How does the public feel about the practice?
In a recent poll, two-thirds of respondents in Britain said they believed assisted dying should be allowed, under certain conditions.
Still, critics question whether the proposed law could be used to pressure vulnerable people, including those with disabilities, to end their lives before they’re ready. The archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, who leads the Anglican Church, told the BBC this week that the idea of assisted dying was “dangerous,” saying he believed it could lead to people who are not terminally ill “feeling pressured to ask for it.”
Will the law pass?
The debate would be the first time British lawmakers have debated assisted dying since 2015, when members of Parliament overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to allow assisted dying. Since then, many Western nations have legalized assisted dying, and there is increased public support for such measures.
Mr. Starmer — who supported the 2015 measure — has said the government will remain neutral in the debate, allowing lawmakers to vote according to their conscience rather than along party lines. He recently told journalists he believed the law should be changed.
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