MPs’ vote to back the legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales is historic. It means such a law has moved a step closer to being passed – but it is only one step along a path likely to last many months. Even then, the legislation could take two years to come into force. There are still many parliamentary hurdles the Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill must clear before it becomes law, with five stages handled by MPs and five more by peers, and further rounds of voting. If it successfully navigates this process, we could see the law change to allow some terminally-ill adults expected to die within six months to seek help to end their own life. Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the bill, told the Commons there would be a period of up to two years before any new law was implemented because “it is more important to get this right than to do it quickly”. But it is also possible the bill could fall and not become law at all.
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