McArthur welcomes first oral evidence session on Assisted Dying bill

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Parliament’s Health committee holding its first oral evidence session on his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, Liam McArthur MSP has urged parliamentarians to learn from the successful experience of countries like Australia and back a compassionate choice for terminally ill Scots.

On Tuesday, the Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from Julian Gardner AM, Chairperson, Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board; Katherine Waller, Voluntary Assisted Dying Training - Project Manager, and Professor Ben White, Professor of End-of-Life Law and Regulation, The Australian Centre for Health Law Research.

Mr McArthur said:

“Our current laws on assisted dying are failing too many terminally ill Scots.

“I have spoken to many people across the country about the harrowing deaths they have witnessed and to dying people living with pain and anxious about what lies ahead. I’ve been told about people’s loved ones who received fantastic palliative care but still endured unbearable suffering as they died.

“Having spent several years working on this legislation, I am confident that my proposals form a robust and well safeguarded bill, allowing Scots access to the choice of an assisted death if they have an advanced, progressive terminal illness and the mental capacity to make the decision.

“I hope that the committee will learn from the successful experience of Australia, where dying citizens have the option of assisted dying as part of end of life care, that providing this choice with a range of safety measure woven in is immeasurably better than the blanket ban currently in place here.

“Both public polling and the consultation I conducted show overwhelming public support for a change in the law. It is time to provide that compassionate choice for terminally ill Scots.”