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Assisted dying, ending conversion practices, decriminalising abortion, and more: our plans for 2025

January 6, 2025

A new year is here and there’s work to be done. What are the priorities for Scottish Humanist Society in 2025?

Assisted dying

Assisted dying is a major cause for humanist movements around the world, including ours. With a historic first-vote victory in England and Wales, the baton passes to Scotland. This year, Liam McArthur’s MSP’s assisted dying bill will be discussed and voted on at Holyrood.

We expect that MSPs will have their first say on the bill in the Spring. In the meantime, we will continue making noise in support of this moderate, rational, and compassionate legislation, alongside our allies Dignity in Dying and Friends at the End.

Reproductive rights

Last year saw a major victory for the reproductive rights movement in Scotland, with buffer zone laws passed. It is now illegal for religiously motivated protestors to harass people seeking abortion care. This year, our focus switches to the fight to decriminalise abortion.

We will work with our allies at Engender and other groups committed to transforming the legal system around reproductive healthcare to make this happen. At the moment, we are part of an advisory group feeding into an expert working group set up by Scottish government to make progress towards decriminalisation.

Ending conversion practices

We have long called for an end to anti-LGBT+ conversion practices, including a new law and better support for survivors. Although progress is stalled on a Scottish bill to end conversion practices, we will continue working with Equality Network and other allies to make the case for change.

We hope that there will be progress towards ending conversion practices within the current Scottish parliamentary term (ending 2026). We will continue working with lawmakers, advocates, and allies until we have stopped these abusive practices once and for all.

My beliefs my choice

In Scotland children and young people have no right to opt themselves out of religious observance at school. This does not respect children and young people’s right to freedom of religion and belief as defined by the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child. Our My Beliefs, My Choice campaign calls on the Scottish Government to give children and young people the right to opt themselves out of religious observance, and to make all religious observance opt-in.

We are currently advising our members and supporters to respond to a Scottish government consultation on a new bill about religious observance. The bill claims it will give young people more of a say over religious observance but it won’t allow them to independently opt out. We need you to tell Ministers to be bolder!

Fair school votes

In Scotland the law requires that each local council reserves three seats for religious representatives on their education committee. These seats are unelected and in most areas the seat-holders have full voting rights. We think this is wrong. Our Fair School Votes campaign calls for an end to this undemocratic system.

In 2023 we saw huge progress on this campaign, with six local councils removing voting rights from unelected religious advocates. 2024 was a quieter year, but in 2025, we will renew the push to reform this outdated process and remove voting rights from religious reps.

Environment and Climate Change

Humanists are passionate about protecting the environment for future generations. Our society is a member of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. This is a coalition of over 60 civic organisation who work together to ensure Scotland plays its fair part in tackling climate change.

In 2025, we will continue to work with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland to stage actions and interventions calling for urgent and equitable change to save our planet. If you like what we’re up to, why not join us or support our work? Just click on the links below.

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