The consultation on the Assisted Suicide (Scotland) closes on the 30th April.

At the start of the consultation 13 weeks ago MSP Margo Macdonald said,

“My supporters and I have learned lessons from the previous Bill, not least from listening to the views and experiences of people on both sides of the issues.

“We remain convinced that majority opinion favours the position reflected by my Bill – people in full command of their rights to be able to request help to end their lives at a time and a place of their choice if their life has been made intolerable by an irrecoverable illness”

At the launch, John Bishop, Executive Secretary of the Humanist Society Scotland, said “Modern medical advances have lead to the expectation of a longer life. Unfortunately, the cost of advancement, for some, is a prolonged end of life that they consider to be intolerable.”

“During a previous consultation led by Margo Macdonald, an independent survey found that up 80% of the Scottish public would support the principal of assisted suicide with the appropriate safeguards.”

“This consultation is an important step forward for Scotland. This Bill proposes a logical step in law to match the advancement of medical science. We now have the opportunity to discuss how to give every adult in Scotland the opportunity to make the choice that’s right for them at the end of their life.”