On 22 September 2021, I lodged a Bill proposal with the Scottish Parliament to enable mentally competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided with assistance to end their life at their request. The proposal was accompanied by a consultation document (published on this website), where I invited views from members of the public.

We now know that over 14,000 individuals and organisations responded to the consultation – the largest ever public response for a Member’s Bill since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999. The consultation responses have now been analysed and verified. Submissions where permission was given for the response to be published can be found here.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the proposal as we move through the legislative process and would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation. Your comments, shared experiences, and personal stories will help to inform the process as we attempt to legislate for assisted dying in Scotland.