News brief

British Parliament considers legalizing assisted dying. A new bill aiming to legalize assisted dying in Britain is set to be introduced in Parliament on Oct. 16. This marks the first time in nearly a decade that lawmakers will debate allowing doctors to help end people’s lives after previous court challenges to change the law failed. The Labour politician Kim Leadbeater plans to introduce a bill granting terminally ill people in England and Wales a way to allow physicians to help them die, although the details of the bill won’t be released until later next month, ahead of a Parliamentary discussion and vote.

Colombia and Canada sit at the forefront of a global shift of ideas around assisted dying. While some consider the practice to be the ultimate act of compassion, others worry it’s gone too far.