British Parliament rejects controversial right-to-die bill

CANTERBURY, England — British parliamentarians soundly rejected a right-to-die bill Sept. 11 that would have allowed people with less than six months to live to end their life legally. Assisting a suicide is a crime in the U.K., punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Only 118 members of Parliament voted in favor of the bill while 330 voted against it. Prime Minister David Cameron opposed any effort to legalize assisted dying.

The bill was largely modeled on assisted dying bills already in place in five U.S. states including Oregon. 

A letter written by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and signed by leading representatives of the Roman Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh faiths claims the proposed bill crosses “a legal and ethical Rubicon” which would turn suicide into a social norm.

(RNS)