The UK Parliament supported the euthanasia bill
Illustrative photo: Tolga Akmen/EPA

The House of Commons of the UK Parliament has voted in favor of a bill to legalize assisted dying, which could lead to the biggest social changes in the country in a generation, Reuters reports .

314 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, 291 against.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Act gives mentally capable, terminally ill adults in England and Wales who have six months or less to live the right to decide whether to end their lives with the help of doctors.

There was fierce debate among lawmakers about the bill.

Supporters argued that the right to voluntary, medically assisted death would provide dignity and compassion for people who are suffering.

Opponents feared that vulnerable people might be forced to commit suicide or that they would make such a decision themselves, fearing that they would become a burden on their families and society.

Opinion polls show that the majority of Britons support assisted dying.

After the vote in the lower house of parliament, the bill will go to the upper house of Lords for consideration. As the agency notes, the upper house will almost certainly support the decision of the members of the House of Commons.

  • Euthanasia is legal in a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Spain, and some states in the United States.
  • On May 27, the French parliament also supported a bill to legalize assisted dying in the first reading.