British lawmakers are introducing a divisive bill to legalize assisted death

British lawmakers voted in favor of a bill that would give some terminally ill patients the right to end their lives – an issue that has divided both parliament and the region for years.

By a vote of 330 to 275, the House of Commons on Friday passed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would grant the option of assisted dying to people in England and Wales with a terminal diagnosis and a life expectancy of six months or fewer.

The measure will now be sent to parliamentary committees for further debate and scrutiny before it can return to the House of Commons for another vote. It will likely take months before the bill becomes law.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has not publicly supported the legislation. Introduced by an ordinary legislator, it faced far less prior parliamentary scrutiny than many critics said was necessary for such a seismic shift in society.

Assisted suicide is currently illegal in Britain and can result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years. It puts family and friends at risk if they choose to accompany their sick loved one abroad for assisted death or if they are present.

The issue was highlighted in Britain last year by popular British broadcaster Esther Rantzen, who, after being diagnosed with lung cancer, said she would visit a Swiss clinic to die if her cancer treatment failed. Rantzen argued that her children should not be prosecuted for accompanying her.

According to the group Dignity in Dying, every year several dozen British citizens travel to Switzerland – where assisted suicide has been legal for more than 80 years – to end their lives. The organization said traveling abroad for assisted dying can be both expensive and physically and emotionally challenging for those already suffering from significant pain and anxiety.

“Many will feel overwhelming relief and gratitude that today our country has come closer than ever before to a safer and more compassionate law,” Dignity in Dying said. statement after the vote in the House of Commons.

The bill would impose a stiff prison sentence if a sick person was pressured to opt for assisted death, but some critics argue that spotting such coercion is not always easy.

“What we’re concerned about is that people are being inadvertently approved in this process and the security around that is just not there,” Akiko Hart, the director of the British human rights and civil liberties organization called Liberty, told NPR. earlier this month.

Other opponents of the bill, including British Health Secretary Wes Streeting, have argued that the poor quality of end-of-life care prevents prevent people from making an informed choice. Street work has that too concerns expressed that supporting assisted dying could divert government funding to other health care services.

Friday’s vote marked a major change in attitude from 2015, the last time an assisted dying bill was introduced to the House. Then the bill came defeated 330 to 118 after four hours of debate.

Medically assisted death is only allowed in a few European countries, including Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. In the US, assisted suicide is legal in ten states and the District of Columbia.

NPR’s Willem Marx contributed reporting