UK parliament introduces a bill on assisted dying

The United Kingdom, UK, parliament on Wednesday, introduced a new bill to legalise assisted death in England and Wales.

The proposed bill has triggered concern from senior church leaders and opponents about the implications of allowing the terminally ill to die on their terms.

Legislators in the House of Commons will get a free vote on Labour MP, Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Adults (End of Life) Bill, allowing them to vote with their conscience rather than along party political lines.

If passed, a patient’s wish to die is likely to need sign-off from a judge and two doctors and would be limited to those with six to 12 months to live.

Supporters of the bill and opponents were due to make their voices heard outside parliament, where an assisted dying bill was last debated and defeated in the Commons in 2015.

Currently, assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

In Scotland, which has a separate legal system and devolved powers to set its health policy, it is not a specific criminal offence. But it can leave a person open to other charges, including murder.

Leadbeater said her bill reflected a shift in public opinion towards assisted dying, which has been legalised to varying degrees in several European countries.

“I am very clear the law needs to change, having met those families who have horrendous stories of the suicide of loved ones, horrible painful deaths or going to other countries,” she said.