Scotland’s senior rabbi Moshe Rubin has expressed his relief that the Assisted Dying Bill put to Scottish Parliament yesterday was ultimately rejected.
“Even though I fully respect the views of those who voted in favour of the Assisted Dying Bill, I am relieved that it was ultimately voted down,” he told the JC.
69 members of Scottish Parliament voted to reject the bill, with 57 in favour, and an abstention from health secretary Neil Gray.
“Life is a gift from God,” Rabbi Rubin continued, “and this bill would have risked compromising that gift while potentially placing pressure on the most vulnerable members of society and their families.”
Fears that vulnerable people could be pressured into an assisted death were among the practical objections which appeared to sway a number of MSPs who had backed the bill in principle at earlier stages.
“I hope that its defeat will encourage parliamentarians and the government to focus on providing the highest standards of palliative care in a truly dignified manner, honouring and celebrating the value of every life,” Rubin concluded.
This was the third time since 2010 that the principle of assisted dying had been debated by the Scottish Parliament; each time, the margin between those in favour and those against had narrowed.
The bill would have afforded terminally ill adults with less than six months left to live the right to seek medical assistance to end their lives.
Liam McArthur, the Lib Dem MSP who proposed the legislation, said he was “sorry that parliament has denied you this compassionate choice”.
“However, for now we should be proud that this is by far the most votes that an assisted dying bill has ever secured in the Scottish Parliament. This is not a conversation that is going away,” he said.
The debate was emotionally-charged, with many MSPs seen wiping away tears during impassioned arguments both for and against the proposal.
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