Scottish Catholic Observer

The Scottish Parliament is set to vote on the Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill next Wednesday. The debate will take place around 2.30pm a week from today, with MSPs expected to vote at 5pm that night.

Opposition group Care Not Killing, which has the backing of the Church in Scotland, is holding a rally outside the Parliament building in Edinburgh from 1pm next Wednesday (May 27).

“This will be our last chance to encourage our MSPs to vote against this dangerous bill, so please do join us,” Aidan Michael Cook of Care Not Killing said today.

Care Not Killing will hand over its anti-assisted suicide petition to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament tomorrow, but those interested will still be able to sign online, adding their names to the more than 15,000 who have already said ‘no’ to assisted suicide.

The Holyrood committee that earlier this month finished reviewing the controversial assisted suicide legislation, brought forward by Green MSP Patrick Harvie, said that it contained ‘significant flaws.’ However, the Scottish Parliament’s health and sport committee reported that—as it is a matter of conscience—it had chosen to make no formal recommendation to parliament on the bill, which means the Scottish Parliament will vote on the bill, flaws and all.

Peter Kearney, director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office, told the SCO at the beginning of May that he believed the chances of the bill progressing are ‘very, very slim and rightfully so.’

Anyone wishing to watch the assisted suicide debate from the public gallery can book tickets on the Scottish Parliament website or phone visitor services on 0131 348 5200.

“It would be great to have supporters in the gallery, ” Mr Cook said. “To attend the vote as well as the debate you will need to book tickets for both afternoon timeslots.”