UK Lawmakers Reject Assisted Dying Legislation

On Friday, the British House of Commons rejected a bill to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill patients. Members of Parliament rejected the legislation by a vote of 286 to 270.

The result means the decades-old ban on assisted dying remains unchanged. Since the bill failed at its first parliamentary hurdle, it cannot be reintroduced during the current legislative session, which is set to last until next spring.

The bill, introduced by Labour MP Lauren Edwards, would have allowed mentally competent adults in England and Wales who are predicted to have six months or less to live to end their lives with medical assistance, following approval by a panel of experts.

The House of Commons approved a similar bill last year, but it did not complete the full legislative process because deliberations in the House of Lords had not finished in time.

Opponents pointed to the risk of pressure being exerted on vulnerable, terminally ill people. Prime Minister Andy Burnham had previously said that debate on legalization should wait until palliative and social care improved. The government remained neutral on the bill, and MPs voted according to their own conscience. Burnham did not take part in the vote.

An Ipsos survey published Monday found that two in three Britons support legalizing assisted dying in principle, although in some cases that support was contingent on increased funding for palliative care.

(Reuters, max)