The Scottish parliament voted 69 to 57, with one abstention, to reject the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, in a late night vote this Tuesday.

All MSPs were given a free vote, rather than being whipped along party lines,and were asked “to vote with their conscience”.

According to Scottish local and national media, the margin was larger than expected, after several days of intensive debate, during which Liberal Democrat MSP and sponsor of the Bill, Liam McArthur, agreed to reduce the period within which a person would be “reasonably expected” to die to six months.

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Those who oppose the Bill, raised concerns over the impact on disabled people, the cost to public services, and the risk of coercion of vulnerable people, while McArthur insisted the Scottish legislation will be the “most heavily safeguarded assisted dying law anywhere in the world”.

The draft law would have allowed terminally ill adults in Scotland, who are eligible, to lawfully request, and be provided with an approved substance from health professionals to end their own life.

Last May, the Scottish Parliament had voted to allow the Bill to go forward for scrutiny by 70 votes to 56.

This was the third assisted dying Bill to come before the Parliament of Scotland, but the first to make it past a stage one vote.

EAUK: “A fantastic result”

Right after the vote, speaking for the UK Evangelical Alliance (EAUK), the UK director Peter Lynas, “welcome the Scottish Parliament’s decision to reject assisted suicide, prioritising the protection of life and the dignity of all, especially the most vulnerable”.

The EAUK points out that “the proposed legislation was unsafe, unworkable, and risked undermining the value of those who are elderly, disabled or nearing the end of life”.

“Scotland must be a place where everyone can live with dignity and thrive. This decision should ensure renewed commitment to high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care across our health and social care systems”, they added.

Thank you to all who prayed for this result in Scotland and thank you to all who voted against the Assisted Dying bill. pic.twitter.com/pxcjSOe9bH

— Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ (@peterlynas) March 17, 2026

According to Lynas, the rejection of the Bill is “a fantastic result for life, for compassion and for the most vulnerable. Not because of lobbying or vested interests, but because people care. We now need to properly fund excellent palliative care”.

For the EAUK director of advocacy, Danny Webster, “the Scottish Parliament voting down the assisted suicide bill is a victory for the dignity of everyone, the value of the vulnerable and the protection of life over death. Choice is not something to turn into a slogan when it’s about such fundamental matters”.

“What is needed is a much better palliative care service, not a postcode lottery, but the best possible and compassionate care for people as they approach the end of life. I hope that in the wake of this vote we can all work towards that”, he stressed.

The Scottish Parliament voting down the assisted suicide bill is a victory for the dignity of everyone, the value of the vulnerable and the protection of life over death.

Choice is not something to turn into a slogan when it’s about such fundamental matters.

— Danny Webster (@danny_webster) March 17, 2026

Church of Scotland

In a public statement, Rev Rosie Frew, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, sai they: "welcome the news that the Scottish Parliament has chosen not to approve the Assisted Dying Bill”.

Although they recognise “there is a diversity of views within the Church”, “the considered opinion was that we could not support a change in the law”.

"Christians believe that every human being is made in the image of God with inherent dignity and worth, this is true for how we live, as well as how we die”, they add.

That is why they “have been consistent in our position that we need to prioritise the development of excellent palliative care services that are universally available and fully funded”.