Scotland could become the first country in the UK to legalise assisted dying when MSPs vote at Holyrood on Tuesday. If passed, the law for terminally ill adults would include some of the toughest safeguards in the world.
However, opponents, including some medical groups, warn it could put vulnerable people at risk.
Changes were made to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill last week, which would mean that people should be "reasonably expected" to have six months to live or less before they would be eligible for an assisted death. Two doctors would have to confirm that a person is terminally ill and has the mental capacity to make a request to end their life.
Tuesday’s result is expected to be close, with some MSPs still deciding which way to vote. The vote is free rather than being whipped along party lines.
Murdo Fraser is the Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife and he's also a Christian. He told Premier on Tuesday morning:“It would only take another four MSPs who voted ‘yes’ at the first stage to change their vote for the bill to be defeated. It's probably fair to say the vote is on a knife edge as it stands. There are still people haven't made up their mind, so we just need to wait and see what will happen. And both sides of the debate are working extremely hard with MSPs, who might be undecided, to try and influence them to vote their way.”
Fraser said he is opposed to legalising assisted dying despite “completely understanding the argument around personal autonomy,” adding “the risks are too high”.
The Bill has been proposed by MSP Liam McArthur who said it would deliver “a robust and well safeguarded law that would give terminally ill Scots with mental capacity the choice of an assisted death if they wanted one".
More than 175 amendments to the Bill have been accepted by MSPs in the last week alone. McArthur said they have “added detailed amendments on coercion, prognosis, and protection of vulnerable groups, and there are cast iron protections for healthcare professionals ready to go."
Murdo Fraser said his faith has influenced his decision to oppose the Bill because it’s “essentially the message of the Gospel, isn't it? It's about the requirement to look out for the weak and the vulnerable. It's not those who are powerful, those who are well off, those who are well educated, those who are in control that the Bible tells us to have a regard for. It's those who are weak, those who are poor, those who are vulnerable. And to me, that is the principle that underlines my choice about how I vote on this.”
The Bill will go through its stage three vote in the Scottish Parliament at 10pm on Tuesday evening.