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Easy News: Assisted Dying Bill

Members of Parliament (MPs) are talking about changing the law on assisted dying.

Easy News: Assisted Dying Bill

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    1. Members of Parliament (MPs) are talking about changing the law on assisted dying. Assisted dying is when someone is helped to die by a medical professional through the taking of prescription drugs that will cause death.

    2. On the 29th of November, MPs voted on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill.

    3. A terminal illness is an illness that a person will die from.

    4. 330 voted for it, and 275 voted against it. The Bill passed this vote.

    5. The Bill would let people with a terminal illness be helped to die, instead of dying from the disease. This means the person would have some control over when and how they will die.

    6. Supporters of assisted dying believe it will stop some people from having a painful or slow death. They want to make assisted dying legal.

    7. Other people think assisted dying should not be legal. They may think that it is always wrong to help someone die.

    8. Some people worry about what will happen if assisted dying is made legal. They think people could be made to feel that they should do it, even if they don't really want to.

    9. Assisted dying is already legal in some other countries. It is legal in Canada and Switzerland. In Switzerland it has been legal since 1942. In Canada it has been legal since 2016

    10. The Assisted Dying Bill for England and Wales says it would only be for people aged 18 or over who have a terminal illness and have been told by doctors that they will live less than 6 months.

    11. 2 different doctors need to agree that a person will die in less than 6 months and believe they have not been pressured into the decision.

    12. A High Court Judge also has to agree. This is to make sure that they are allowed to choose an assisted death.

    13. Many people care a lot about this Bill. Members of Parliament were allowed to vote on it based on their personal opinion, instead of the opinion of their political party.

    14. Not everyone in the Government supports Assisted Dying. The Prime Minister has voted for it, but the Health Secretary voted against it. People from different political parties voted for and against it.

    15. The law will not change soon, and it may not change at all. The Bill needs to be voted on again, and then the House of Lords needs to vote on it. The House of Lords is part of Parliament.

    16. The Bill is now in Committee. This happens to bills when experts tell the Government how to write it. Many changes might happen to the bill here.

    17. Some of people who voted for the Bill want it to change a lot before they would vote for it again. They want to make sure assisted dying is only available to people who really want it.

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