Scottish assisted suicide Bill is 'inherently dangerous' - CARE

‘Assisted dying’ legislation before the Scottish Parliament is “inherently dangerous”, CARE for Scotland has said.

The social policy charity was one of several groups giving evidence on a Bill from Liam McArthur MSP in a committee hearing this morning.

Michael Veitch, CARE for Scotland Policy Officer, told members of Holyrood’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee:

“Our strong assertion is that this bill will have a very determinantal impact on very vulnerable people who will feel invisible pressure to consider an option that wasn’t there before.”

He argued that many people would feel “internal pressure” to end their lives arising from concern about their financial situation or the state of the NHS.

Rather than introducing assisted suicide, Mr Veitch called on MSPs to ensure a “gold standard” of palliative care for everyone in Scotland.

He added that the message we should send as a society is, “we will take care of you” rather than “facilitating an early death with lethal drugs”.

During the session, panelists who oppose a change in the law also stressed that the definition of terminal illness in McArthur’s Bill is broad.

Warning of a “very broad definition of terminal illness” in the wording of the legislation, Mr Veitch said it could be “be interpreted beyond its policy intentions”.

Veitch also described the introduction of state-assisted suicide as a “crossing of the Rubicon” that would lead to mission creep in years to come.

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is coming to the end of its oral evidence sessions on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

After hearing from the Scottish Government and Mr McArthur, it will produce a written Stage 1 Report, noting its recommendations for parliament.

A Stage 1 debate on the legislation is expected around spring. At this stage, the whole parliament will support or reject the general principles of the Bill.

If parliament supports the general principles of the Bill, it will return to the Health Committee for line-by-line scrutiny and consideration of amendments.

If MSPs do not support the Bill’s general principles, it will fall. No assisted suicide Bill has made it past Stage 1 scrutiny in the past, given acute concerns.

ENDS

About CARE for Scotland

CARE for Scotland is a social policy charity, bringing Christian insight to the policies and laws that affect our lives.

Contact us: press@care.org.uk