Summary
Scotland's Parliament voted against a bill that would have allowed terminally ill people in the country to choose assisted death. The bill, known as the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, needed more support to pass. The debate is likely to continue in future parliamentary sessions.
Key Facts
- The Scottish Parliament rejected the Assisted Dying Bill with 69 votes against and 57 in favor.
- To pass, the bill needed 64 votes.
- The bill's sponsor, Liam McArthur, expressed disappointment but stated that discussions on the topic would continue.
- This was the third attempt in 16 years to pass legislation on assisted dying in Scotland.
- Previous similar bills were also rejected by the Scottish Parliament in 2010 and 2015.
- The topic has been debated in Scotland for nearly 20 years.
- Any future attempts to pass such a bill would have to start from scratch in the next parliamentary session.
- Similar bills in England and Wales have been stalled, but other places like the Isle of Man and Jersey have passed their own assisted dying bills, pending final approval.
