Right to die moves closer to legal reality

Lifestyle Desk: Assisted killing or the right to die has always been a debatable issue fuelling discourses on ethics, human right, morality, and legality. However, this could soon be a reality. Recently, the British lawmakers have voted to allow assisted dying for individuals or patients who are terminally ill or in the final stages of their live, or medically expected to live no more than six months.

After five hours of meticulous debate in the House of Commons, majority of the elected members voted in favour of assisted dying, with 330 voting in support of it and 275 voting against it. Interestingly, there was intra-party differences among the leaders from even the ruling Labour government. While Prime Minister Keir Starmer voted for the bill, the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner voted against it, highlighting the complexity of the issue even within party lines.

The passing of the bill in the British parliament itself does not however suggest that it has become a law, or it has been finalized. It will now have to go through further legislative processes like scrutiny within parliamentary committees before getting the final approval.

The British public have also demonstrated mixed reactions over the issue, reports The Times. People not in support of the bill protested outside the parliament with placards on their hands with some stating that assisted dying was not safe, and it could be equated to assisted suicide and turn doctors into killers.

Social media discourse over the issue has also been fragmented. Some feel that the bill is ridiculous, inhuman, and tragic; while some believe that it is wonderful and assisted dying needs to be legalized, along with abortion all over the world. A social media user commented that the right to die with dignity and compassion was as important as the right to live with it.

Source: The Guardian