The Scottish Parliament voted in favour of a bill that would allow people living with terminal illnesses in Scotland to take their own lives.
Currently, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, Austria and Ecuador allow assisted deaths under certain circumstances.
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The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill will now move to a committee stage where it will be discussed and amended by members of the Scottish parliament.
Under the bill, mentally competent adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal condition can end their lives assisted by health professionals. The bill mandates those requesting an assisted death must have lived in Scotland for at least a year. A 14-day cooling-off period and an independent assessment by two doctors are also necessary. Individuals would need to self-administer the substance intended to end their life.
This is the third time that lawmakers in Scotland have voted on such legislation. Liam McArthur, a Liberal Democrat member of the Scottish parliament, initially tabled it in 2021.
Scotland’s move comes after a historic vote last year in the British parliament in which lawmakers backed a bill to allow assisted dying in England and Wales.
Supporters described the bill as a progressive move to ease the suffering of dying Scots. However, opponents raised concerns about safeguards for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
