The legalization of assisted death was voted in the British Parliament. The historical law draft adopted with a tight score
Debate in the British Parliament. Photo credit: AFP / AFP / Profimedia
British deputies adopted a historical draft law on the second reading aimed at legalizing the assisted death in the case of patients who arrived in the terminal phase on Friday, AFP reports.
The text, which had been previously examined in the House of Lords, was adopted after a very close election, with 314 votes for and 291 against, thus exceeding a key stage in Parliament.
The supporters of the law, gathered in the morning in front of the parliament headquarters with banners that wrote “My Death, My Decision” (my death, my decision), broke out in cries of joy, announcing the result, reports France Presse and Agerpres.
In contrast, the director of the group “Not Killing”, Gordon Macdonald, who opposes the law, denounced the text as “deeply imperfect and dangerous”.
The text adopted by the deputies provides that the assisted death will be legalized for the sick adults in the terminal phase, to whom doctors give less than six months of life and who are able to take themselves the substance that will cause their death.
According to a survey published on Thursday by the YouGov Institute, 73% of the British support the text as it is written.
When the assisted suicide would come into effect
The deputies have made several notable changes compared to the version adopted in November in the first reading with a broader majority.
In addition to two doctors, the last word for the authorization of the assistance will belong to a college of experts, and not to a judge of the High Court, a modification criticized by the opponents.
A person will not be eligible if his health degrades because he voluntarily ceased to feed.
The political parties did not vote to vote to their deputies. Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer voted in favor of the text.
If it is finally adopted by the two parliamentary chambers, it will take four more years until the assisted suicide will be effectively implemented in England and Wales.
According to an estimation of the Government, in the first year there could be between 160 and 640 assisted suicides, after which a gradual increase will follow up to about 4,500 after 10 years.
Currently, medical assisted death is illegal, with a sentence of 14 prison in case of help or incitement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In Scotland, where a person who helps another die can be charged for voluntary murder, deputies adopted last month a project to legalize assisted suicide.
The island of Man became in the first British territory to legalize a form of assisted suicide.
