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| Canada's parliament passes assisted suicide bill | Canada's parliament passes assisted suicide bill |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Canada's parliament has passed a contentious bill to allow medically-assisted death for terminally ill people. | Canada's parliament has passed a contentious bill to allow medically-assisted death for terminally ill people. |
| The law was put forward after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on doctors helping the incurably sick to die. | The law was put forward after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on doctors helping the incurably sick to die. |
| The move makes Canada one of the few countries where doctors can legally help sick people die. | The move makes Canada one of the few countries where doctors can legally help sick people die. |
| But critics say the new legislation is too restrictive. | But critics say the new legislation is too restrictive. |
| They argue it will prevent people with degenerative conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, from seeking assisted suicide. | They argue it will prevent people with degenerative conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, from seeking assisted suicide. |
| Government officials say the new law is a first step and can be expanded in the future. | Government officials say the new law is a first step and can be expanded in the future. |
| What different countries say about assisted dying | What different countries say about assisted dying |
| The legislation had already passed by the House of Commons and Friday's Senate vote means it now only needs the formality of royal assent from the governor-general to become law. | The legislation had already passed by the House of Commons and Friday's Senate vote means it now only needs the formality of royal assent from the governor-general to become law. |
| Some senators were in favour of a much broader law but after weeks of political wrangling they gave in to pressure by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, which had narrowed the scope of the bill. | Some senators were in favour of a much broader law but after weeks of political wrangling they gave in to pressure by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, which had narrowed the scope of the bill. |
| In a statement, Canada's Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Health Minister Jane Philpott said the bill struck "the right balance between personal autonomy for those seeking access to medically assisted dying and protecting the vulnerable". | In a statement, Canada's Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Health Minister Jane Philpott said the bill struck "the right balance between personal autonomy for those seeking access to medically assisted dying and protecting the vulnerable". |
| Assisted suicide is currently legal in just a few countries, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Albania, Colombia and Japan. | |
| The practice is legal in the US states of Washington, California, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. | The practice is legal in the US states of Washington, California, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. |