The British parliament has approved a bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people.
Assisted death
The bill allows people aged 18 and over who have been medically certified as having less than six months to live to apply for assistance in dying.
Under the updated rules, the decision will no longer require judicial approval, but must be agreed upon by two doctors and a special committee consisting of a psychiatrist, a social worker and a lawyer. The applicant must take the lethal drug himself.
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Similar practices are already permitted in several countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada and some US states, although the conditions for providing assistance vary.
It is important to distinguish between assisted suicide, where a person takes lethal drugs themselves, and euthanasia, where the drug is administered by a physician (for example, in the Netherlands).
Despite the complexity of the topic, more and more countries are moving towards the idea of legal choice at the end of life, recognizing the right to die with dignity under certain medical circumstances.
Reaction of British society
On the day of the vote, demonstrators from both sides gathered outside parliament, with supporters wearing 'Campaign for the Dignity of Death' slogans demanding that patients' rights be recognised.
Opponents held placards reading: “Don't turn the NHS into the National Suicide Prevention Service.”
The government's position also varied, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer backing the bill while Health Minister Wes Streeting voted against.
The government has pledged to honour the will of parliament, although the implications for funding for the health care system, hospice care and the judiciary have not yet been taken into account.
If the bill is supported by the House of Lords, it will come into force in 2029.
