The German lower house of parliament is currently deciding on draft legislation regarding the practice.Germany's Bundestag on Thursday is debating several proposals related to assisted suicide.

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Two groups of parliamentarians have put forward proposals on the issue, which are to be subjected to a free vote.

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What are the proposals?

For one group, Katrin Helling-Plahr of the business-focused Free Democratic Party (FDP) said there were many people who wanted to decide to die when the right time for them had come, and that they should be able to do so without fear of legal repercussions.

Center-left Social Democrat (SPD) politician Lars Castellucci, speaking for the other group, said it was important to make assisted suicide possible without encouraging it.

He said anyone providing organized possibilities for suicide without adhering to a fixed concept of protecting the vulnerable should be liable for penalties.

But both proposals share the aim of creating a legal framework for giving those wanting to commit suicide access to the lethal drugs they need. They would also allow assisted suicide only in the case of those who have reached legal maturity.

In addition, the two groups have proposed increasing suicide prevention aid services, including with a nationwide hotline for those having suicidal thoughts and their relatives.

The two initiatives arose from a landmark ruling of Germany's Consitutional Court in 2020 that overturned a ban on organized assisted suicide as being a violation of the right of any individual to die on her or his own terms.

Editor's note: If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/

tj/wd (dpa, AFP)

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 06, 2023 02:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).