Miro outside Holyrood

MSPs urged to oppose ‘assisted dying’ law

CAMPAIGNERS have warned against an ‘assisted dying’ law in Scotland after the architect of a Holyrood Bill was questioned by MSPs.

This morning, Liam McArthur MSP, whose Bill aims to legalise doctor-assisted suicide, appeared before MSPs on Holyrood’s Health Committee.

Speaking after the committee session, Dr Miro Griffiths, an expert adviser on disability and spokesman for the Better Way campaign, said:

“Like Kim Leadbeater’s Bill at Westminster, Liam McArthur’s Bill fails to address very serious dangers associated with assisted suicide. The clear evidence from palliative care doctors, psychiatrists, disabled people’s organisations, experts in the care of older people, and others is that a change in the law would inevitably lead to abuses against the most vulnerable.

“Nothing in Liam McArthur’s Bill would rule out coercion of patients through subtle pressure applied behind closed doors, people feeling pressure to die because of the inequalities they face, or legislative mission creep in years to come. These dangers are unsolvable, regardless of the assurances ‘assisted dying’ supporters offer to the Scottish public.

“When politicians have debated this issue in the past, they have always concluded that the risks of changing the law make it much too dangerous to pursue. Demands for personal autonomy must be weighed against legislators’ duty to uphold protections for the most vulnerable. We believe assisted suicide would wrongly prioritise the former over the latter.

“We’d urge MSPs to heed experts’ concerns and vote against the general principles of Liam McArthur’s Bill. Instead, they should devote all their energy to improving ethical and progressive forms of support: blanket suicide prevention, palliative care, and measures that create a more inclusive society for disabled people. There is a better way forward.”

ENDS

Better Way campaign opposes assisted suicide, sets out an alternative vision, and provides a platform for marginalised voices. The campaign is supported by experts in several fields including medicine, disability advocacy, and sociology.

Find out more: Website / Social media

Contact us: admin@betterwaycampaign.co.uk

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