Controversial legislation that would have made Scotland the first nation in the UK to back assisted dying has been defeated at Holyrood.
MSPs voted by 57 to 69, with one abstention, against a Bill that would have allowed terminally ill Scots to seek help to end their live – with opponents of the legislation hailing it as a “victory for the vulnerable”.
It came after an emotional debate at Holyrood where the MSP who had introduced the legislation, Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur, warned many of those who voted down his Bill would come to “regret deeply” their choice.
But he added this would not be felt “as deeply or as painfully as those dying Scots and their families who desperately need us to act with courage, compassion and urgency”.
The Liberal Democrat MSP had insisted the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill – if it had been passed – would have been the “most heavily safeguarded assisted dying law anywhere in the world”.
But Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of the Care Not Killing campaign group, said: “We are relieved that MSPs have decided not to back this legislation.
“We believe the Bill posed serious risks to the most vulnerable in society – including disabled people and those suffering from domestic abuse.”
He added: “Now the debate in Scotland has been concluded, I hope we can move on to the real issue, how to care for people at the end of life, because the real scandal is that one in four people who would benefit from palliative care across our country are currently not receiving it.”
Meanwhile, Dr Stewart Weir, head of the Christian charity Care for Scotland, said: “We’re delighted members have rejected this irredeemably flawed Bill. It is a real victory for the vulnerable.”
He added: “This Bill would have opened a Pandora’s box which would have fundamentally changed healthcare across Scotland.
“There is no doubt in my mind that members have made a positive and truly compassionate decision today.”
The Bill had proposed that to be eligible for an assisted death a person would have to have two doctors certify they have a terminal illness and the mental capacity to request help to die.
An amendment passed last week meanwhile meant that only those reasonably expected to die within six months could make such a request.
However, opponents of the legislation raised concerns about the impact the legislation could have on vulnerable people, such as the disabled, and about the risks of coercion.
Others meanwhile warned of a lack of safeguards for medical professionals in the Bill, which cannot be included as employment issues are reserved to Westminster.
That saw groups in the medical profession, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCS) and Royal Pharmaceutical Society, speak out against the Bill.
The Bill marked the third attempt by Holyrood to pass assisted dying legislation – though Mr McArthur’s was the first to make it past the first vote.
However, after that vote a number of MSPs withdrew their support, citing concerns about the legislation.
If the vote had passed Scotland would have been the first nation in the UK to back assisted dying – with a similar Bill at Westminster now likely to run out of time to clear the House of Lords.
In February, Jersey passed its draft assisted dying law and the legislation is awaiting royal assent so it can formally become law on the island.
The move follows the passage of legislation in the Isle of Man, where the Tynwald became the first parliament in the British Isles to agree a framework for assisted dying in March 2025.
After the final vote a Scottish Government spokesperson said it noted the decision of MSPs not to the pass the Bill.
The spokesperson said: “As this is a Member’s Bill, the Scottish Government maintained a neutral position throughout, while providing detailed technical, legal and financial commentary to ensure the Bill would be workable in practice if passed, and working with the UK Government in relation to legislative competency issues.
“The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland who needs it can access well-co-ordinated, compassionate and high-quality palliative and end-of-life care.”
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