United Kingdom
In 2015, both the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons defeated two separate bills. Extensive consultation was carried out. Find out why they reached their decisions.
Overseas Jurisdictions
Worldwide, the number of jurisdictions that have legalized euthanasia and/or assisted suicide is very small.
Out of the 195 countries worldwide
only 5 countries and 1 state (in Australia) have euthanasia.
only 3 countries and 8 states (in the USA) have legalized assisted suicide.
Countries
Euthanasia is legal in only 5 countries: Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Assisted suicide is legal in only 3 countries: Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are legal in the Netherlands.
States
Assisted suicide is legal in only 7 out of the 50 states in America: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. It is also legal in the District of Columbia.
Attempts at Legalization
Where it's Legal
Below are five of the main overseas jurisdictions where euthanasia and/or assisted suicide are legal.
Australia
In Australia, only the state of Victoria has legalized euthanasia, with their law due to come into effect in 2019.
Belgium
Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002. Numbers have risen from 235 in 2003 to 2,309 in 2017. Take a look at what's been happening.
Canada
In 2015, Carter v Canada established euthanasia as a "constitutional right", paving the way for legalization.
The Netherlands
Both euthanasia and assisted suicide became legal in 2002, making the Netherlands one of the only jurisdictions worldwide to have legalized both.
United States
Seven states and one district have legalized assisted suicide only, the most prominent state with assisted suicide being Oregon.