Summary
Scotland is about to vote on a law allowing assisted dying for terminally ill adults. The law would let adults who meet specific criteria, like having a terminal illness, choose to end their lives. Similar bills are being considered in England, Wales, and other parts of the British Isles, but they have not yet become law.
Key Facts
- Scotland's Parliament will vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill.
- Eligible applicants must be 18 or older, live in Scotland for at least a year, be registered with a GP, and be terminally ill with less than six months to live.
- The person must have the mental capacity to understand and decide on assisted dying.
- The definition of mental capacity in the Scottish bill differs from the typical legal approach in the UK.
- A bill for assisted dying in England and Wales is also under consideration but is stalled in the House of Lords.
- The Isle of Man and Jersey have passed bills but they are not yet laws.
- In the British Isles, the Isle of Man was the first to pass an assisted dying bill in March last year.
