Can you help me die?

The law in Scotland

There is no law against assisted dying in Scotland, but nor is assisted dying legal in Scotland. The Court of Session in February 2016 identified that the only crimes that a person may be convicted of in assisting someone to take their own life would be those of culpable homicide or public order offences. Helping someone to travel overseas to gain access to medical assistance to die was explicitly stated as unlikely to bring a prosecution. There is, however, no legal route to access assisted dying in Scotland and doctors are unable to provide assistance.

Dignity in Dying is unable to provide assistance or advice to people in Scotland who wish to take their own lives.

Tell your story

Telling personal stories can be extremely powerful. We are building a network of people willing to share their experience to help us strengthen the case for law change.

We know stories are very personal, so rest assured that we will not publicise anything until we have spoken to you and you’ve given your final approval.

If you have something to share please let us know using the form below.

Hospices and palliative care

Palliative care in the UK is the best in the world and for many people with a terminal illness, it will be able to meet your needs. Palliative care is provided in hospices but it is also provided at community level by doctors and nurses. Your GP should be able to help you find out more about what support is available in your area. You can find out more about hospice care from Hospice UK. You can find out more about palliative care from the National Council for Palliative Care.

Compassion in Dying

We have a partner charity named Compassion in Dying, which provides people with information on how to ensure your decisions are respected in healthcare. They work to inform and empower people to exercise their rights and choices around end-of-life care. Lots of people make an Advance Decision, formerly known as a Living Will, even if they do not have a medical condition. An Advance Decision enables you to be in control of future medical treatment decisions even if you cannot communicate your wishes, for instance because you have had a stroke. Many people use an Advance Decision to refuse medical treatment. This choice is absolutely legal and provided for under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. An Advance Decision cannot be used to request an assisted death, as this is illegal.

Compassion in Dying provides an online service that allows anyone to create an Advance Decision to ensure your care and treatment preferences are respected. The MyDecisions website is completely free and easy to use.