Meeting of the Parliament 13 May 2025
I will come on to that shortly. An additional safeguard that the bill introduces is a new criminal offence of coercion, with a sentence of up to 14 years, which no previous such bill has included. Mental capacity and freedom from outside influence are confirmed at every stage, and the person can change their mind at any time.
Doctors are already trained to identify coercion in contexts such as abortion care and treatment withdrawal. That duty exists—it is not unique to the bill but a standard part of ethical medical practice.
It is important to understand that denying people access to voluntary assisted dying does not prevent assisted deaths; it merely pushes them underground. Dr Amanda Ward, a global expert in this field, documented in her PhD thesis numerous examples of amateur assisted deaths in Scotland, some of which were horrific. Relatives of people who help a loved one to end their suffering end up in jail, and deaths occur without there being any safeguards or professional support in place. That is the alternative to the bill: a system that fails the dying, doctors and the law. In essence, what the bill proposes is far safer than the status quo.
On the question of palliative care, there is no conflict—it is not an either/or choice. Public support for that choice is clear. Polling consistently shows that most Scots, across all demographics, support the bill. Liam McArthur has drawn on the expertise of Scottish organisations such as Friends at the End, Dignity in Dying and the Humanist Society. Those groups speak for thousands of their members. Their voices are not abstract; they are rooted in real grief and love and united by a powerful determination to spare others the same heartbreak.
We are in a fortunate position. What sets the bill apart from previous proposals is that many of the concerns that were historically associated with assisted dying can now be addressed with robust evidence. Nearly a decade on from our most recent debate, we are no longer relying on theory—we have substantial international data to inform our decision.
It is our responsibility today to consider the general principles of the bill. It is careful, credible and compassionate, and it reflects the values of a country that believes in dignity, autonomy and evidence-led policy. We have a chance to show the Scottish Parliament at its best: progressive and profoundly compassionate.
It is time: it is time to listen to the voices of dying people and it is time to vote for the general principles of the bill.
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