Before Assisted Dying, Fix UK Hospice Care

For nearly two years, the UK Parliament has grappled with the thorny but important question of whether to legalize assisted dying. Now, despite being approved by a majority of MPs — and enjoying overwhelming public support — plans to move ahead are likely permanently stalled. Given how contentious the proposed law has become, that’s probably for the best, even if the manner of dispatch is profoundly undemocratic.

The truth is that however good in intention, the legislation currently stuck in Parliament’s revising upper chamber, the House of Lords, is muddled, overly complex and unsuited for the purpose for which it was designed: to end suffering.