The bill introduced in Scotland could make assisted dying legal for terminally ill adults

Scotland could become the first part of Britain to offer terminally ill adults help to end their lives if Holyrood passes a new bill.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, who introduced the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill on Thursday, said “politicians are catching up with what the public has been doing for some time”, as extensive evidence shows polls for Dignity in Dying Scotland. % of respondents supported legalization.

Launching the bill in the Scottish Parliament, McArthur said: “Our current assisted dying laws are failing too many terminally ill Scots at the end of life. All too often, and despite the best efforts of palliative care, dying people face traumatic deaths that harm both themselves and those they leave behind.

“This bill contains robust safeguards, similar to those safely and successfully introduced in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the United States, where they continue to enjoy strong public support.”

McArthur’s bill will be the fourth attempt to introduce assisted dying legislation at Holyrood and is tightly crafted to address concerns that it will put pressure on vulnerable people who fear being a burden on their loved ones. It is still expected to be strongly opposed by disability rights and faith groups.

It is only open to adults who have lived in Scotland for at least a year and have been assessed by two independent doctors as terminally ill, of sound mind and without pressure. Applicants must self-administer the life-ending medications.

Fraser Sutherland of the Humanist Society Scotland, which supported the development of the bill, highlighted the strong human rights concerns on both sides of the debate and pointed out that the proposed law only applies to the terminally ill, so that people with disability would not. Qualify.

“Right now, the ‘slippery slope’ argument is often used to suggest that it is only a matter of time before the law is expanded. But, contrary to some media stories, we have seen many assisted dying laws similar to Liam McArthur’s bill (i.e. laws that only apply to the terminally ill) without any subsequent expansion.”

But a letter to MSPs from a coalition of disability rights groups, including the Better Way Campaign, Disability Equality Scotland and Inclusion Scotland, is urging MSPs to vote against the bill.

“In an era where long-term conditions are lasting longer and health and social care are becoming increasingly expensive, vulnerable groups are specifically threatened by the future impact of assisted dying legislation. It is not difficult to imagine that an individual’s judgment that “my life is not worth living” can transform into others’ perception that “his or her life is not worth living ‘.”

Dr. Gillian Wright, a former registrar of palliative medicine who now represents Our Duty of Care, an alliance of healthcare professionals opposing assisted dying, said:
“The main danger of assisted suicide is that individual lives are devalued by society because they are ill, disabled or confused, or because their contribution to society is perceived as minimal. The secondary danger is that terminally ill and disabled individuals may begin to devalue themselves because of the burden they believe they are on society.”