Members of Parliament have voted to pass legislation that makes assisted suicide legal in England and Wales.
The new legislation will allow for the death of those in the two countries who are over the age of 18 and are registered with a general practitioner for at least 12 months.
The bill passed with a vote of 330 to 275 and will allow patients to expect to be killed within six months of their request.
‘As a religious person, I understand and appreciate the deep moral and philosophical concerns that many people have about this issue.’
Other parameters, the BBC reported, included making sure the patient has the mental capacity to make the decision in a clear, settled, and informed manner that is free from coercion.
Two separate declarations must be made by the patient, with two “independent doctors” declaring the patient is eligible at least seven days apart.
Additionally, a High Court judge would have to rule each time a person makes a request to die, after which the patient has to wait another 14 days after the ruling to reflect on whether they want the government to kill them.
A doctor would reportedly prepare a substance that would kill the patient, but the patient has to ingest…
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