Disability groups have reacted with trepidation to the U.K. Parliament approving legislation on assisted dying.
A number of U.K.-based disability charities and community advocates have expressed their concern and disappointment over a historic change in the law to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people to move one step closer to becoming reality yesterday.
Though still a distance from finding its way onto the U.K. statute book, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill introduced by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater was approved after an emotionally charged House of Commons debate with 330 members of parliament voting in favor and 275 against it. The vote was held as a free vote allowing MPs to vote with their conscience rather than along party lines. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves voted in favor of progressing the legislation. On the Conservative opposition side of the house, whilst former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also voted in favor of the bill, current Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoc voted against it.
Under the new proposals, terminally ill individuals who are expected to die within six months and can demonstrate the mental capacity to make an informed choice can begin the process of ending their own lives by seeking the approval of two independent medical doctors seven days apart. A High Court judge would also need to ratify the decision. Medical practitioners would then be permitted to prepare a lethal substance to end the patient’s life but cannot administer it meaning that the patient would have to take it themselves.
Supporters of the proposals say that it will represent a viable option to end unbearable torment and suffering at the end of life when there is no hope of improvement and allow people to die with agency and dignity.
