A consortium of Scottish philosophers and ethicists, including Glasgow professors Ben Colburn and Glen Pettigrove, has announced its support for the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

The announcement, and the published statement, was made yesterday in Edinburgh.

Representing the University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow and University of St. Andrews, the Philosophers’ Consortium on Assisted Dying in Scotland (PCADS) comprises a group of leading academics in ethical philosophy that believes the Bill, proposed by Liam McArthur MSP, represents a positive step to improve how people die in Scotland.

This conclusion was drawn on the group members’ experience as philosophers with research expertise in end of life ethics, as well as extensive first-hand contact with physicians, dying patients, and their families.

The group understands that for many, the best life will not turn out to be the longest possible life. For a handful of patients, the best life — and best death — may be achieved by collaborating with their physicians to shorten their lives with the help of a life ending medication.

How we each face the end of our lives is a complex ethical question. It's our responsibility and our right each to grapple with it for ourselves. Legislation should respect the fears people have expressed, and should take seriously the convictions of people who are opposed. But the way we take those people seriously is not to impose their individual views on those who disagree, for personal or philosophy reasons. It is to create the conditions where everyone can act on the basis of their sincere beliefs. In our view that means creating a legal and safe option of assisted dying for everyone.

Professor Ben Colburn, School of Humanities, University of Glasgow

As I finalise the Bill that will go before the Parliament I very much welcome the input and support of such experts on end of life ethics. The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill will work alongside palliative care to offer compassionate choice to dying people and put safety and transparency in place where none currently exists. The group has considered the evidence on both the need for a new law on assisted dying and how it works in practise; evidence I look forward to sharing further with my MSP colleagues. The majority of the Scottish public are in favour of changing the law on assisted dying and I’m pleased to add this expert group to their number.

Liam McArthur MSP

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First published: 23 May 2023

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