Legalized suicide: The UK Parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill that permits euthanasia.

The UK Parliament has voted in favor of a bill on "assisted dying," which allows euthanasia for terminally ill patients. A total of 330 MPs voted in favor, while 275 were against it, according to Reuters, as reported by UNN.

Details

After intense discussions both inside and outside the UK Parliament, lawmakers supported the euthanasia bill for England and Wales.

According to Reuters, this is a historic step towards legislative change that could enable the UK to follow the lead of other countries like Australia, Canada, and certain states in the US, marking one of the most significant social reforms in the last generation.

However, the bill is still subject to amendments or even rejection.

For several months, parliamentary committees will review and refine it before it is reconsidered.

Additional Information

The parliamentary vote followed over five hours of intense debate. Opponents of the bill expressed concerns that terminally ill individuals might request euthanasia not out of their own volition, but to avoid being a burden on their relatives or to spare them the costs of care. They suggested that instead of legalizing euthanasia, there should be a focus on improving palliative care to ease the suffering of those who are dying.

The proposed legislation aims to grant the right to assisted dying to citizens over the age of 18 who are suffering from terminal illnesses. A doctor must confirm that the patient is terminally ill and has a life expectancy of no more than six months. Their requests for euthanasia must be approved by two doctors and a judge. The patient must be capable of self-administering the lethal agent in the form of a solution or syrup.

Reminder

Earlier, UNN reported that the French government is advancing a Bill that legalizes assisted suicide for terminally ill patients under strict conditions.