Last week, Scotland resolutely rejected assisted suicide. Alberta announced major new legislation to protect individuals from the practice. And the clock is ticking in the United Kingdom’s House of Lords on a bill that would legalize the practice in England and Wales.
Debates over assisted suicide are intensifying worldwide. The Scottish vote was striking as its parliament is dominated by parties on the left and center-left, and yet opposition to the bill prevailed, cutting across party lines. Leaders from Scotland’s three major parties (the Scottish National Party, Labour, and the Conservatives), along with the country’s last two first ministers, came together to reject the bill in a rare show of unity. The result was a 69-to-57 decision against legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill adults.
The following day, Canada’s province of Alberta announced new legislation to significantly restrict assisted suicide, including a requirement the person be likely to die within the next 12 months and a prohibition on allowing it for those solely suffering from mental illness. This move too signals growing recognition of the immense individual and societal dangers of state-backed death.
Over the last four years, deaths in Alberta from Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) regime increased by 109 percent. In her announcement, Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, was clear that the proposed law is “about protecting vulnerable Albertans.” As the federal government seeks to expand MAID across the country, including by moving to allow assisted suicide solely on the basis of mental health concerns, Alberta is drawing a line to protect its most vulnerable. If passed, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act would prohibit MAID for minors and when the sole condition is mental illness, in addition to introducing other key protections and delineating a right to conscientious objection.
Read More on The Federalist