British MPs vote assisted dying law through to next stage
UK's parliament voted in favour of a bill to legalise euthanasia for terminally ill people in England and Wales on Friday, passing the legislation to the next round of parliamentary scrutiny. Public support for allowing incurably ill adults to end their lives has risen since a similar bill was defeated in the House of Commons in 2015.
UK lawmakers voted Friday in favour of assisted dying for terminally ill people in England and Wales, advancing the emotive and contentious legislation to the next stage of parliamentary scrutiny.
MPs voted by 330 to 275 in support of legalised euthanasia in the first vote on the issue in the House of Commons for nearly a decade.
The result came following an emotionally-charged debate that lasted almost five hours in a packed and hushed chamber, and as competing protesters made their voices heard outside parliament.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill now progresses to the committee stage where lawmakers can table amendments, a process likely to be vexed.
The legislation would then face further votes in the Commons and House of Lords upper chamber. The process will likely take months and if it is ultimately passed then a change in the law is expected to be several years away.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is behind the bill, told the debate that changing the law would give terminally ill people "choice, autonomy and dignity at the end of their lives".
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