Scottish lawmakers ‘delighted’ at passage of initial vote to legalize assisted suicide

Lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament passed the initial vote of a bill that would legalize assisted suicide. The legislation must pass two more votes before it can become law.

The Assisted Dying for Terminal Adults (Scotland) Bill would allow adults who are considered terminally ill to request assisted suicide. They must first gain approval from two physicians, who can certify that they are considered mentally stable to make such a request. Unlike similar legislation elsewhere, the bill does not have a time limit for the terminal diagnosis; instead, it must only be considered “advanced and progressive.”

The bill passed by a vote of 70 to 56.

The bill’s sponsor, MSP Liam McArthur, said he was “delighted” and “relieved” at the bill’s initial passage, as he called it a “landmark moment for Scotland.” As Live Action News previously reported, McArthur has received significant monetary contributions from pro-euthanasia groups.

The bill has faced significant pushback from the disability community. According to BBC Scotland News, Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy, who uses a wheelchair, has been among its most outspoken critics. She called the vote “heartbreaking.”

“We are legislating for the state to assist someone to take their own life, and in almost every other circumstance we want the state to legislate for people to live and live well,” she said. “No one wants to be in pain; I have lived with chronic pain for 41 years, but the answer should be to ensure that as much palliative care should be in place as possible.”

Scottish First Minister John Swinney also came out publicly against the bill prior to the vote. As Right to Life UK reported, Swinney told BBC Scotland News:

I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t support [the legislation] because I’m worried that it would fundamentally change the relationships between patients and clinicians. I’m worried that some of the vulnerable in our society might feel that they are a burden and that they may therefore opt or feel under pressure to end their life prematurely…

I’m concerned that we don’t have a guarantee that the legislation could essentially extend in scope beyond the decision in principle. I feel it’s wrongly principled to go down this route and that’s why I’ll vote against it on Tuesday.

Dr. Miro Griffiths, from the organization Better Way, also campaigned against the legislation.

“As a disabled person and academic, I fear the consequences of an assisted suicide law,” he said. “Polling clearly shows that the public have serious concerns about the implications of a law change for vulnerable groups — even people who might support it in principle.”

He added, “Legislating for this practice would send a regressive message that disabled people’s lives are not worth living.”

Other opponents of the legislation have also previously spoken out, warning that it could allow for anorexic teenagers to qualify to legally kill themselves, and children as young as 16 could qualify for assisted suicide, though the minimum age in the legislation was recently increased to 18 in an effort to gain votes toward passage.

According to Yahoo News, the bill’s first vote was on its general principles. Going forward, the specifics of the bill will face greater scrutiny before another vote occurs.