British Parliament rejects legislation to allow assisted dying for the terminally ill

Legislation in Britain to legalize assisted dying was defeated yesterday as the House of Commons voted “to reject a bill that would have allowed the terminally ill to seek help ending their lives,” reports The Washington Post:

The defeat leaves Britain, at least for now, outside a growing list of European countries and 14 U.S. jurisdictions that allow some form of assisted suicide. Lawmakers voted 286 to 270 against advancing the Terminally Ill Adults bill, which would have made it legal for the patients meeting certain criteria to acquire and self-administer a fatal injection.

The defeat marks a reversal from a Commons vote last year to approve the bill by a margin of 314 to 291, underscoring the emotional volatility of the issue. The previous bill was subsequently blocked by opponents in the House of Lords, Parliament’s unelected upper chamber, who ran out the clock with more than 1,200 proposed amendments. Friday’s defeat ends a push to revive the bill. Supporters say they will try again, though probably not before the next general election, which is expected in 2029.

The legislation would have permitted the terminally ill to seek help dying when they are said to have less than six months to live.

In 2021, it was reported that a “suicide pod” that “kills peacefully” had been approved in Switzerland. But later, Swiss prosecutors and government ministers warned that anyone offering or operating the device could face major criminal investigations and prison sentences. Following its first experimental use, local authorities made multiple arrests.

“A coffin-like capsule that allows people to end their life could be used in Switzerland,” its creators had predicted. “The Sarco suicide pod allows a user to lie down and activate the process themselves within a matter of minutes. Individuals are asked a series of questions before they can press a button, which brings oxygen down to a critical level. Nitrogen fills the 3D-printed device, quickly bringing oxygen down from 21 percent to only 1 percent in about 30 seconds. A ‘disorientated’ and ‘euphoric’ feeling then follows, before they eventually lose consciousness. Death takes place due to hypoxia (low oxygen in the body’s tissues) and hypocapnia (reduced carbon dioxide in the blood), followed by critical oxygen and carbon dioxide deprivation.”

Dr. Philip Nitschke, whose Exit International organization came up with the capsule, said there is “no panic, no choking feeling”. “The machine can be towed anywhere for the death,” he said. “It can be in an idyllic outdoor setting or in the premises of an assisted suicide organization, for example.”