The Ampersand stable of Advocates in partnership with the J K Mason Institute for Medicine, Life Sciences and the Law at the University of Edinburgh’s Law School hosted a full day seminar in Edinburgh on 24th April 2014 on “The Assisted Suicide Bill: Does Scotland Need to Legislate?” Relevant topics were allocated to sessions on principles, practicalities, palliative care and policing. The day concluded with general debate, reports Lexology

Non-lawyers present at the Seminar were dismayed that lawyers who
spoke all critically dissected the drafting of the Bill. It was
necessary to reassure them that this in no way reflected views on the
principles of the Bill.

Subject to the caveat that some
participants left and others arrived during the course of the day, it is
interesting to note that votes cast at the outset were 37% in favour of
the principle of the Bill, 42% against and 21% undecided; and those at
conclusion 52% in favour, 31% against and 22% undecided – indicating, if
nothing else, that a day of high quality discussion and debate can
influence the development of opinion.