A new proposed bill in Scotland aims to legalise assisted dying for terminally-ill individuals. Liam McArthur, an MSP for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, will publish the bill of Thursday. Previously, attempts to change the law on assisted dying have been voted down at Holyrood. However, McArthur is confident that the political mood has changed, citing countries around the world that have already implemented similar laws.
If passed, McArthur’s proposals would permit medical aid to those wishing to end their own lives, but only if they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness by two separate doctors. There would also be a 14-day cooling-off period before any medical substance could be supplied, after which the patient could self-administer the substance. McArthur believes that the current ban on assisted dying leaves too many terminally-ill individuals facing painful deaths that can have a traumatic impact on those they leave behind, despite the best efforts of palliative care.
However, opponents of the proposed bill argue that it would put vulnerable individuals under pressure to request death, and that it may undermine palliative care. Faith leaders from the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church and the Scottish Association of Mosques have also voiced opposition, saying that assisted dying undermines the dignity of the human person.
MSPs will be given a free vote on the legislation. Previous attempts to legalise assisted dying have failed, including a bill by the late independent MSP Margo MacDonald in 2010 and a bill by Green MSP Patrick Harvie in 2015
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