A Duty to Die?

Last week in London, a packed House of Commons debated on and voted for one of the most controversial and consequential laws in modern history. The Assisted Dying Bill for Terminally Ill Adults proposes to enshrine in law the right for people over 18 with a medical prognosis that gives them less than six months to live, to request to end their own life.

The bill, which was proposed by a non-government MP, was a free vote — i.e., MPs could vote how they liked rather than along party lines. It divided the government, MPs, and the country, and ultimately passed by a vote of 330-275.

The law presents serious concerns for the frum community. It rides roughshod over the idea of sanctity of life, raises serious risks that those who refuse the option will be viewed as an unnecessary burden, and is another symptom of the secularization seeking to replace traditional norms of morality. Here are six things to know about the bill, its pitfalls, and potential ramifications.

The Private Process

Unusually for such divisive legislation, the bill was brought forward by a backbench Labour MP under a Private Members’ Bill system that picks names in a lottery and grants the winners the opportunity to try and pass a law of their choosing.