Britain rows over euthanasia: What to know about the emotional debate Explanatory messages

London, United Kingdom – Britain is debating the issue of euthanasia after a bill to legalize it in England and Wales was formally introduced in Parliament last week – the first attempt to change the law in a decade.

If enacted, euthanasia would give terminally ill, mentally competent adults with a life expectancy of six months or less the legal right to end their lives with medical assistance.

Since the Suicide Act 1961, it has been illegal to promote or assist suicide in England and Wales. The guilty could face up to 14 years in prison.

Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, who is behind the bill tabled on October 16, said in a statement that it was “important” to align the legislation with “the necessary protections and safeguards” for people with disabilities or mental illnesses are under pressure to make the decision – which opponents of the bill believe could happen.

The debate over the polarizing issue has stirred religious figures and bodies.

“Legalizing euthanasia would have a disproportionate impact on many millions of vulnerable people who may find themselves a burden on those around them and on the health service,” said Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The British Islamic Medical Association said: “As well as religious objections, many of us will also have objections based on professional codes of conduct.” We also see how dangerous this can be for vulnerable people and marginalized communities who already struggle to access healthcare in a system that is unable to respond efficiently to complex health needs.”

Here’s what we know about the bill:

What is euthanasia?

Euthanasia means that terminally ill people are given lethal medication by a doctor to end their life.

It should not be confused with euthanasia, which is a similar process in which a life is ended by a doctor using lethal medication. However, in this case, the person does not have to be terminally ill to choose death.

What is the bill about?

Although many details of the bill have not yet been finalized, it is expected to be similar to an assisted dying bill introduced in the House of Lords in July. This bill has since been withdrawn to make way for the new bill.

In the previous bill, terminally ill people with six months or less to live would have access to medical help to end their lives after the decision was signed by two doctors and a Supreme Court justice.

The last vote to legalize euthanasia in the UK was in 2015, but it was overwhelmingly rejected by British lawmakers: 330 voted against, 118 in favour.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who backed a 2015 euthanasia bill, said lawmakers should have a “free vote” and not be forced to cast their vote along party lines.

“There are reasons to change the law,” he said.

A debate and first vote on the bill is expected to take place on November 29th.

What do activists say in favor of the bill?

Arguments for euthanasia include self-determination, relief from pain and suffering, and peace of mind.

Hundreds of Britons have spent thousands of pounds traveling to Switzerland to facilities such as Dignitas, an organization that provides euthanasia.

According to a poll by Dignity in Dying, 84 percent of Brits support legalizing euthanasia.

Across all party lines, Green voters recorded the highest level of support: 79 percent were in favor of changing the law. Close behind were Conservative voters at 78 percent, Labor voters at 77 percent and Liberal Democrats at 77 percent.

A spokesperson for Dignity in Dying told Al Jazeera that the new bill will bring “hope” to those who have called for a “compassionate end-of-life decision.”

“Under the current system there are no prior checks or balances to prevent a terminally ill Briton being forced to travel to Dignitas or taking their own life at home. We urgently need more control, accountability and protection. That’s what this bill will achieve,” the speaker said.

Who is against euthanasia and why?

Supporters of euthanasia have warned that marginalized groups, including disabled people and low-income households, will be disproportionately affected and at risk.

Some religious groups oppose the bill, arguing that life is sacred and ending it prematurely is morally wrong.

Others said improving palliative care should be the focus instead.

Disabled People Against Cuts have called on MPs to vote against the euthanasia bill after they said it would “pressure people with disabilities to end their lives prematurely”.

“Initially good intentions to provide end-of-life choices can result in disabled people without terminal illnesses being pushed to an early death because the support to live with dignity is not available,” it said.

The group highlighted the lack of government funding for hospices and palliative care, which provide support for terminally ill people.

Alistair Thompson, a spokesman for Care Not Killing, said the anti-euthanasia group had been pushing for improvements to the palliative care system for years.

“We know that one in four people who would benefit from it are not currently receiving it,” he told Al Jazeera.

“But the reality is that it is incredibly expensive to fix the palliative care system. A large portion of the funds from the palliative care system that benefit the hospice movement are raised by the public. It is not centrally funded. To fix the palliative care system, you have to give more money to the hospice movement… and that’s going to be a billion-dollar question,” Thompson explained.

With Britain having an aging population with complex needs, a legal route to euthanasia would lead to “more and more people feeling pressured to end their lives prematurely”, he said.

“The protective measures are being undermined and simply expanded.”

Where is euthanasia legal?

In Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and some states in the United States.

For those who oppose the law, Canada has become an example of why euthanasia law should not be passed in England and Wales.

Euthanasia was legalized in Canada in 2016. The law was then expanded in 2021 to allow people with terminal but non-fatal illnesses, including disabilities, to find a way to die.

However, according to a recent investigation by The Associated Press, medical professionals are “struggling with requests from people whose pain could be relieved by money, appropriate housing or social contact.”

Figures from Canada’s most populous province suggest that “a significant number of people who are euthanized when they are in uncontrollable pain but are not dying live in Ontario’s poorest areas,” The Associated Press revealed.

Thompson called on the British government to “look very, very closely [Canada] before we go down this very dangerous path.”

Daniel Gover, a lecturer in British politics at Queen Mary University of London, wrote for The Conversation about what could happen next.

There are still many steps ahead that will likely take months, if not longer, he said.

“Despite these procedural hurdles, the euthanasia bill has a reasonably good chance of becoming law,” he wrote. “In the end, a lot will depend on whether MPs are prepared to support this change and how determined they are to do so.”