PA mediaThe MSP with the hope of making assisted legalization in Scotland says that the minimum age will increase to propose legislation from 16 to 18.
Liberal Democrat Liam Mcarthur said he had considered the matter “with great care” and that the change was in line with legislation in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
If the bill was approved, it would allow a patient to request medical assistance to end their life, but only if it had a terminal disease and have a leg mentally adequately to make the decision of two doctors.
MSP are scheduled to vote on the general principles of the McCarthur Bill in Holyrood on May 13.
Mcarthur said he had “reflected on provisional evidence to the Health Committee and helped death legislation in other countries” when making his decision.
He told BBC Scotland News that 18 felt a more appropriate age for legislation.
He said: “Looking at the international examples, where 18 is the established age threshold, which seems a more appropriate age for thresholds in my bill.
“This is a model that has a leg in place and worked in Oregon since the end of the 1990s, and more recently in all the states of Australia and New Zealand. It provides public support too much in those jurisdictions, as well as the confidence of the medical profession.
“We need to obtain the detail of any bill here in Scotland, but there is no reason why we cannot follow a similar path.”
The MSP urged to vote in favor of the bill and help create “the most compassionate, safe and adequate law for Scotland.”
In October of last year, Prime Minister John Swinney said that “he had not reached a final opinion” on the subject, but added that the age threshold or 16 proposed was “a very important problem” with which the MSP will have to “fight.”
The parliamentarians in England and Wales voted in favor of a bill to allow assisted death last year, in 330 votes to 275.
Like the United Kingdom Parliament, Holy Red will have a free vote on assisted death, which means that MSP will not receive instructions on how to vote for their matches.
Getty imagesThe Scottish bill has proven to be divisive, and opposes the Catholic Church in Scotland and the Association of Scottish Mosquas.
Politicians, including former prime minister, Humza Yousaf and Labor MSP, Pam Duncan-Glancy, have indicated that they would vote against.
The Church of Scotland is “partial opposite” to the legislation that becomes law, but says that its official position is currently under review.
Fr. Gerry Maguinness, general secretary of the Bishop Conference, told BBC Scotland News that the change in age did not affect the concerns of the Catholic Church about the bill.
He said: “In terms of practical aspects, it really makes no difference if you are allowed to kill someone at age 16, 18 or 80.
“Once you allow to kill, you allow to kill. I hope that the MSP make sense, that in this legislation we are emerging in a new way of life that makes the elderly and the elderly greatly.”
Fr. Maguess added that more funds for the care of the elderly should be the focus for politicians, instead of assisted death.
‘Consciousness Subject’
A Scottish government spokesman said he was taking a neutral position in the bill at this stage, and would consider the most approved legislation by the first vote.
Earlier this week, a Holyrood committee scrutinizing the law refused to make a recommendation on how MSP should vote, saying it was a “issue of consciousness.”
The Holyrood Health Committee report highlighted a series of areas that, he said, required more consideration if the bill progresses to stage two.
These include the provision and quality of palliative care, how to guarantee the mental capacity of patients who opt for assistance to die and the possibility that health professionals can “enter” practice.
A decade ago, a member bill introduced by MSP Independiente Margo Macdonald, and the tasks for the MSP Green Patrick Harvie after his death, were rejected. This followed an attempt of 2004 of the liberal democrat Jeremy Purvis to promulgate similar legislation.
