Members of the Scottish Parliament voted 69 to 57, with one abstention, against a bill on Tuesday that would have permitted terminally ill adults in Scotland to receive assistance in ending their lives.

The vote followed debate at Holyrood on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur. McArthur stated that opponents of the bill would regret their decision and stressed the need for action to support dying patients and their families.

James Kennedy, Northern Ireland policy officer for the Christian Institute, said Scottish politicians identified problems with assisted dying after examination and concluded no safe legislation exists. He noted over 1000 amendments to a similar bill at Westminster and urged Northern Ireland MLAs to focus on improving palliative care instead of pursuing assisted dying laws, where no plans or demand exist locally.

Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of the Care Not Killing campaign group, said the Scottish bill presented risks to vulnerable groups including disabled people and those facing domestic abuse. He called attention to inadequate palliative care access, with one in four eligible people not receiving it.

A comparable assisted dying bill before the UK House of Lords remains stalled.

Boyd Sleator, Northern Ireland coordinator for Humanists UK, cited a 2024 poll showing 67% public support in Northern Ireland for assisted dying legislation. He called for Stormont to initiate an evidence-based discussion on providing choice and safeguards for incurably suffering adults.