Overview
- The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill fell at Stage 3 by 69 votes to 57 with one abstention after an emotional late‑night debate.
- Several MSPs who supported the bill at its first stage switched sides, helping sink the proposal in the conscience vote.
- The bill set strict eligibility: a reasonable expectation of death within six months, certification by two doctors of terminal illness and capacity, a 12‑month residency requirement, and self‑administration.
- The Scottish Government maintained neutrality, while organizations such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society opposed the measure and campaigners for change voiced deep disappointment.
- The defeat leaves Scotland without assisted‑dying legislation as Jersey and the Isle of Man move ahead, and a separate England and Wales bill remains stalled in the House of Lords.