The assisted suicide debate in England boils down to, 'Do we want to become Canada or not?'

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Has Canada inadvertently helped to strike a blow against the cause of assisted suicide in England and Wales? Early on Thursday, BBC News reported that the euthanasia bill passed by the original classic House of Commons in June is now unlikely to pass the Lords before the end of the current session. The upper house is taking its time juggling with the bill in committee, with over 1,000 amendments submitted for debate.

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If the bill dies on the order paper, the U.K. Commons has the right to pass it a second time in a new session, and if it does so, it proceeds directly to royal assent and bypasses the Lords under the 1911 Parliament Act. In other words, the House of Lords, like our Senate, can only delay Commons legislation for so long, and no longer, under the constitution.

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