Assisted death may only be available in England and Wales until at least 2029 after MPs have approved an extension of the launch period.
An initial two-year “backstop” will now increase to four years after the change has been proposed by Kim Leadbeater, the Life’s end of the Life.
Ms Leadbeater said she was disappointed to represent the expansion and acknowledged the ‘dismay’ felt by some supporters of the bill, but said it was ‘more important to do it properly than to do it quickly’.
The delay of four years, approved by the committee investigating the legislation, now means that the law is unlikely to be in operation until at least 2029 – the year with which the next general election should take place.
After the vote in the early hours of Wednesday, Ms Leadbeater said the bill will come back into a “safer, fairer and more workable” form.
MPs in the committee also voted for assisted die to be available on the NHS for free.
One MP said that the expansion of the background is at risk of abandoning the bill.
Tom Gordon, a liberal democratic member of parliament, said The guardian that “delayed implementation risks push it beyond the next election, where it can be completely abandoned”.
“We have carefully reviewed and strengthened this bill and ensure that it is safe and robust. Every extra year means more unnecessary suffering for those who can’t wait to wait,” Mr. Gordon said.
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Why did the dying bill help the opinions of divided opinions?
The Charity Humanists UK, which is the assisted dying Bill, said it regrets the delay.
CEO Andrew Copson said: “Many other countries have already helped safe dying laws, and none of them have taken over 19 months to implement it, apart from one subject to a court challenge.
“So it doesn’t have to take four years for one here. If so, people who need this change of law will continue to die in ways that do not have their choice. ‘
But the conservative MP Danny Kruger argued that the bill was a fundamental change in the founding principles of the Nhswhich, according to him, would become the ‘national health and assisted suicide service’.
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What is in the legislation?
Assisted die is the largest societal change in 50 years
The overnight vote is the end of two months of investigation into the committee, and the bill is likely to return for a debate and vote by all MPs in the coming months.
Opponents of the bill warned that people could be put under pressure to end their lives.
But supporters said that the law would allow people who suffer with difficult illnesses to end their lives.
Last month, Ms. Leadbeater removes a key measure that says that every assisted dying case must be investigated by a Supreme Court Judge.
With reference to concern it could overwhelm the court system, Ms. Leadbeater instead suggested that things by panels, including a senior attorney, a psychiatrist and a social worker, will be reviewed.
The bill will enable adults in England and Wales to die within six months to ask for help from a doctor to end their lives.
MPs initially voted in support of the bill in November, with 330 MPs supporting it and rejecting 275.
Meanwhile, the island of man became the first part of the British Isles pass assisted dying legislation.
The assisted dying bill will be sent to Royal Incent, after having his final lecture by members of the Legislative Council on Tuesday.
The bill, for adults living on the island for five years, which has a terminal illness with a life expectancy of no more than 12 months, can become formal later this year with an assisted dying service that may be in place by 2027.
