Care Not Killing Scotland presents petition rejecting assisted suicide bill

Alex Schadenberg

By Alex Schadenberg

International Chair - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Scottish media have reported that the Care Not Killing Alliance presented a petition with 15,300 signatures opposing the assisted suicide bill. The assisted suicide bill is scheduled to go to a vote next Wednesday in the Scottish parliament.

Last month the Scottish government health committee concluded that the assisted suicide bill contained "significant flaws" with the majority of the health committee opposed to the "general principles" of the bill. The committee stated that the assisted suicide bill lacked clarity in language and undermined suicide prevention efforts.

Dr Gordon Macdonald

According to The Extra:

Dr Gordon Macdonald, convenor of Care Not Killing, the campaign group opposed to assisted suicide, said he expected the Bill to be defeated when it is debated and voted on next week. 

Speaking as he handed over the group's petition, he said: "The Bill is wrong in principle, but it's also wrong in a lot of the detail, and I think that has become clear from a couple of the committees that have scrutinised it that that's the case. 

"We would argue that it should be rejected on a point of principle, but even for those who might be minded to support the principle, they should still vote against it because this Bill is so badly written." 

He added: "We have got a fairly good idea of what the Parliament thinks about this Bill and we would expect that it will be defeated next Wednesday."

The assisted suicide bill in Scotland will likely be defeated next Wednesday.

• Scottish assisted suicide bill must be rejected by parliament.