Assisted dying: Which countries have already made it legal?
Assisted dying could soon become legal in England and Wales when a bill concerning the practice is formally introduced in the House of Commons.
MPs will debate and hold the first vote on the legislation this week, paving the way for a possible change to the law.
Assisted dying is already legal in a number of countries and states around the world, with varying policies in place.
Which countries have already made assisted dying legal? ITV News explains.
United States
Assisted dying is currently legal in 10 US states: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Oregon was the first state to legalise the practice in 1997 and, as a result, has become a model for other states to frame their laws around.
Eligibility criteria vary from state-to-state. In Oregon, for example, anyone making a euthanasia request must be:
Aged 18 or older
A resident of Oregon
Capable - defined as able to make and communicate health care decisions - and diagnosed with a terminal illness which will lead to death within six months.
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Canada
Canada's Medical assistance in dying (Maid) was initially introduced in 2016 just for the terminally ill, but was amended three years ago to include those experiencing "unbearable suffering" from an irreversible illness or disability.
By the end of the decade, it's expected to be extended to those with a mental illness.
Critics of the legislation have argued that the more it is expanded, the more likely it is that disabled or vulnerable people will be put at risk.
Europe
Six European countries have legalised some form of assisted dying. They are: Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Austria.
More than 80 years ago, Switzerland became the first country anywhere in the world to create a "right to die", when it made "assisted suicide" legal.
The Netherlands and Belgium both legalised assisted dying in 2002, with the latter facing criticism in recent years over a 2014 amendment which enabled anyone - including children - to make a euthanasia request.
More recently, Spain and Austria introduced legislation that legalised assisted dying.
Austrian law requires the drugs to be self-administered, whereas a medical professional can administer them in Spain.
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Australia and New Zealand
Much of Australia - including New South Wales and Queensland - has legalised assisted dying in recent years.
In New Zealand, eligible patients must be terminally ill and expected to die within six months.
Patients can self-administer the drugs in both countries, but it can also be done by either a doctor or nurse.
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