The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) bill fell on March 10 with 69 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) voting against and 57 in favor, short of the 64 votes required to pass.
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, who tabled the bill, called the result “devastating” but said the conversation “isn’t going away.” McArthur has championed assisted dying since his re-election in 2021 and serves as one of Holyrood’s deputy presiding officers. He will need to be re-elected on May 7 to bring the issue forward again, reports the BBC.
The legislation underwent intense scrutiny, including 175 stage-three amendments. MSPs debated the bill passionately, with some speaking for the last time before the upcoming election. The measure is the third attempt to legalize assisted dying in Scotland over the past 16 years.
Independent MSP Margo MacDonald first proposed similar legislation in 2010, which was rejected 85–16. A second bill from Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie was defeated 82–36 in 2015. Last year, MSPs approved the bill’s general principles by 70–56.