We believe that people at the end of their life should have a suite of rights encapsulated in our Last Rights charter, this includes the right to an assisted death for those who choose it.

1. The Right to be in control
2. The Right to die at home
3. The Right to palliative care
4. The Right to an assisted death

Humanists believe individuals should have the right, in agreed circumstances, to determine how and when they can seek assistance to die.

Since then many more countries and states have changed their laws to allow access to medically assisted dying for those who choose it, with appropriate safeguards.

However Scotland continues to block individuals right to choose for themselves, leaving many in suffering and their families and friends having to watch a slow and often painful death.

This is inhumane.

We believe it is time for the Scottish Parliament to reconsider this matter in light of new international evidence and the impact of blocking an individuals right to choose on their Human Rights.

In order to to build support for this change however we need your help. Please will you help us by donating through Direct Debit to fund this latest step in the campaign to legalise assisted dying? Alternatively you can support our work through a one-off donation.

Last year Humanist Society member Paul wrote about his own experience of having a loved one suffer at the end of their life:

“My father died a slow lonely death. I did not grieve when he died. I grieved when my dog died (with vet assistance). I would have liked to have grieved for my dad. I would like to have remembered him as he was. I wish he could have had the option to end his life when the illness took hold. My memory of my father is of a scared old man with no means of communicating, curled up into a foetal position.”

Sadly Paul’s story is all too common in Scotland. With your support we can make the legal change needed to allow for individuals to control their own plans for the end of their life. Other countries have shown it can be done safely and with respect. It is time for Scotland to catch up.

Please, if you can, help fund the Humanist Society make the case for change and get assisted dying proposals back on the political agenda.