Minimum age in Scottish bill to be raised from 16 to 18

The MSP spearheading a law change on assisted dying in Scotland is dropping a proposal to allow 16-year-olds to end their lives with medical assistance.

Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur said the minimum age at which people should be eligible is 18, in line with legislation in the US, Australia and New Zealand, having considered the matter “very carefully”.

MSPs are scheduled to vote on the broad principles of McArthur’s bill at Holyrood on 13 May.

If the bill passed it would allow a patient to request medical assistance to end their life, but only if they had a terminal illness and had been ruled mentally fit to make the decision by two doctors.

McArthur said he had “reflected on both the evidence provided to the health committee and assisted dying legislation in place in other countries” in making his decision.

He said: “In other jurisdictions that have changed the law to allow dying people access to the choice of an assisted death , such as the US, Australia and New Zealand, 18 is the age from which terminally ill adults become eligible.

“On balance I now feel that this would be most appropriate for Scotland.”

He added he he urged MSPs to vote in favour of the bill and help create “the most compassionate, safe and suitable law for Scotland”.

In October last year, First Minister John Swinney said he had “not come to a final view” on the issue but added that the proposed age threshold of 16 was “a very significant issue in my mind” which MSPs will have to “wrestle” with.

MPs in England and Wales voted in favour of a bill to allow assisted dying last year, by 330 votes to 275.