Changes to Scotland’s Assisted Dying Bill mean ‘strong safeguards’ – McArthur

Changes to proposed assisted dying laws in Scotland will ensure “strong protections and safeguards”, the MSP spearheading the proposals has insisted.

Liam McArthur spoke out after his Bill, which would allow terminally ill adults in Scotland to seek help to end their life, cleared its second stage at Holyrood.

MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee debated almost 300 proposed changes to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

Changes to the legislation agreed by MSPs mean it will now be an offence to coerce a terminally ill person into taking the substance used to end their life – with this adding on parts of the legislation which would make it an offence to coerce someone to make a declaration that they wish to have an assisted death.

Other amendments to the Bill mean an “opt in” system will be created for medial professionals taking part in the assisted dying process, rather than relying on them opting out.

Death certificates issued after an assisted death would also make clear an approved substance was taken, mentioning this alongside the terminal illness the person suffered from.

The Bill will now go forward for possible further changes ahead of a final debate in Holyrood next year.

Mr McArthur thanked members of the Health Committee for their “diligent scrutiny” of the 298 amendments that were put forward, saying these had allowed a “wide variety of important issues” to be debated.

The Liberal Democrat added the changes had “helped strengthen the Bill”, saying he was “confident that this painstaking process will continue”.

Mr McArthur said: “It is so important that we not only deliver a Bill which offers the choice that a small number of terminally ill Scots desperately need, but that we do so in a manner which underpins the Bill’s driving principles of safety, compassion and choice.

“The amendments that I put forward take on board the views of experts who will have a role in the delivery of extending the choice of assisted dying to terminally ill patients.

“The same is true of the amendments from other MSP colleagues that were accepted by the committee.

“Together, these help balance the need for dying people to be able to access the option of assisted dying with strong protections and safeguards.”