Assisted Dying Bill - latest update

Assisted Dying Bill - latest update

Stage 2

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill has now completed Stage 2, during which the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee (HSCSC) debated and voted on amendments.

All the transcripts and video of the four meetings of the committee can be viewed here.

You can see the Bill as it now reads following amendment here.

SPPC has worked in various ways to input into Stage 2 of the Bill: 

• A short film about SPPC’s approach to amendments
• An explanation of SPPC’s approach and the intent of its suggested amendments
• The actual amendments lodged by Bob Doris which were considered by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
• A summary of the outcomes of SPPC suggested amendments - those rejected and those supported by the HSCSC
• Listing of all the changes made to the bill at Stage 2
• A letter from Mark Hazelwood, CEO of SPPC to Liam McArthur MSP regarding the definition of coercion used in the Assisted Dying Bill.
• SPPC have co-signed a letter to Scottish Parliament requesting time for adequate scrutiny of the Bill between Stage 2 and Stage 3. 

Stage 3

The Bill has entered Stage 3 at which there is a further opportunity for MSPs and Scottish Government to propose amendments. The amendments are voted on by the whole chamber and then the final version of the Bill is debated and voted on for a final time. The timelines for Stage 3 are not yet published, but there are some official indications that the final debate may be late February or early March 2026. 

Letter to UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Following a vote of the HSCS Committee the Convenor has written a letter to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with a Disability seeking a view on the compatabiity of the Bill with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Revised estimates for costs of assisted dying – reflecting amendments at Stage 2

A revised financial memorandum can be viewed here: Revised Financial Memorandum reflecting amendments at Stage 2

Assisted Dying in England

The report of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill House of Lords Committee is now available.  Read the report in full here.

Photo: Mogens Engelund