‘We must fight assisted suicide to protect our most vulnerable’

A former President of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has warned that Liam McArthur’s assisted suicide Bill would lead to a “suicide regime”.

Eileen McCartin, who was also a Paisley councillor for 34 years, urged The Herald’s readers to contact their local politicians to oppose both the Lib Dem MSP’s proposals and similar attempts at Westminster.

Under McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, those aged 16 or over who have been resident in Scotland for at least twelve months could get help to kill themselves if they were deemed to be terminally ill.

Canada

McCartin stated: “Those who oppose this potential legislation are not fighting for themselves, or what they want for themselves. They are fighting for the most vulnerable people in our society, be they disabled, have mental problems, or perhaps just the old and poor.”

She highlighted that so-called safeguards of Canada’s euthanasia law have been “whittled away very quickly”, and now people who “don’t want to live any more” are being killed.

The former politician urged the public not to let the “preferences of some lead the way to the suicide regime that this legislation will bring to large parts of our vulnerable population, as it already has to the people of Canada”.

‘Serious issues’

Last month, the Law Society of Scotland said there are “serious issues” with Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying Bill which must be addressed.

The Society, which represents over 13,000 Scottish solicitors, made the comments in its response to the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee’s call for evidence. It also said the Bill might fall outside of Holyrood’s legislative competence as it may be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, and mental health and capacity legislation.

The Christian Institute has made public its own response to the call for evidence, in which it said any change to the law on assisted suicide would be “hugely damaging” to society.