UK MPs vote for assisted suicide
UK MPs vote for assisted suicide
The British parliament recently has for the Legalization of assisted dying A few nations, the terminal people have the opportunity to end their lives. With a coordination of 330 to 275 in the lower house, the MPs supported this controversial proposal after an hourly debate and a long campaign by prominent supporters based on emotional, personal testimony.
a milestone for the legal regulation
Great Britain could now be one of the most populous countries in a small group of countries that have legalized assisted dying. The draft law still has to pass the upper house and the parliamentary committees, but the vote on Friday is the first big step.
The new law enables people with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of less than six months to get a means made available to end their lives, provided they are able to make this decision themselves. Two doctors and a judge of the High Court must confirm the decision.
international comparability
in countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Spain and most states of Australia, assisted dying is allowed in any form, as well as in several US states, including Oregon, Washington and California.
The debate about this topic split the MPs who tried to get a position in a exceptionally tense week in the Westminster. The MPs had the freedom to coordinate according to their conscience, which meant that they could support each side without fear of political consequences.
emotional arguments for the support
In an open letter to the MPs who were published before the vote, Esther Rantzen, a BBC presenter with advanced lung cancer, who has become a prominent supporter of the assisted dying: "According to our current criminal law, there is only the choice between suffering, Switzerland or suicide." Rantzen is considering using the Swiss Clinic Dignitas to end their lives and appealed to the MPs of all pages. "This will probably not be up for debate for another decade. How many other people have to suffer by then?"
The heated debate in parliament
It is rare that British MPs are invited to decide on such a personal topic, and many had to deal with their own decisions this week. Rachael Maskell, a Labor MP and prominent opponent of the procedure, said: "Parliament tears itself into two parts. The MPs show signs of stress because they have to make this decision in such a short time ..." It all concerns everyone. "The emotional discussions in the lower house recalled earlier free votes on topics such as abortion and same -sex marriage. Proponents of the draft law argue that assisted dying can give the terminal patient at the end of their life and avoid months of suffering and physical expiry, which also reduces pressure on palliative care in the country. Polls show a clear majority of the public that supports assisted dying.
dangers and concerns
Tristan Osborne, a Labor MP, said that he voted for the bill because he was convinced of the existing protective measures. "I put myself in my own situation and thought about what I would like for my loved ones," he said, describing the option as "one that I would also consider if I were in this situation."
But critics fear that the security measures of the lawsuit are not strict enough and suggest that patients could feel under pressure to choose an assisted death so as not to burden their families. Other other concerns that the draft law was presented without an in -depth assessment or sufficient time to consider, especially since hundreds of MPs have only been in office for a few months. Maskell pointed out that the battered National Health Service (NHS) of Great Britain was unable to offer assisted euthanasia.
"I think the Labor party was chosen because the NHS is in a catastrophic state ... We have to put the NHS in order before we take this way," she said. "The advancement of this debate ignores the need to improve the insufficiently financed palliative system."
A look into the future
The proposed bill is strongly based on the Oregon model and does not extend as far as the regulations in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Canada, which are assisted by assisted death in other painful circumstances. The difference between assisted dying and euthanasia is that in the latter, another person intentionally ends a person's lives to relieve suffering.
At the moment, it is a crime in England and Wales to help someone die, which is punished at up to 14 years in prison. The implementation of euthanasia, on the other hand, is considered a murder or homicide.
This story is up to date and is supplemented with further information.
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