The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Dr Gillian Wright raises serious concerns about the impact of assisted suicide legislation on the most vulnerable in our society. While no one wants to see people suffer at the end of life, she warns that laws like this risk sending a dangerous message that the lives of those who are frail, terminally ill, elderly, lonely, or struggling with mental illness are somehow less valuable.

Experience from other countries shows how quickly such laws can expand. In Canada, legislation that was first presented as tightly restricted to those who were terminally ill has since been widened to include people with chronic illness and is moving toward including those with psychiatric conditions.

These developments raise important questions about whether any system can truly safeguard those who may feel pressure, isolation, or a sense of being a burden.

The more we know, the more we say no.

Learn more and contact your MSP today:
🌐 http://carenotkilling.scot

“Be careful what you wish for.”

Laws introduced with safeguards and good intentions often expand over time. What begins as a limited measure can quickly grow beyond what was first promised.

Experience from other countries shows that once the door is opened, it rarely remains closed to further change.

Scotland must consider the long-term consequences.

The more we KNOW, the more we say NO.

Write to your MSPs by visiting:
👉 https://carenotkilling.scot/

Carefully read the wording of the email before sending. Click the button and enter your postcode when prompted.

𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has expressed deep concern over the Scottish Government’s response to proposed amendments to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. The amendments, tabled by John Mason MSP and Paul O’Kane MSP, seek to introduce provisions allowing organisations—including hospices, care homes, and faith‑based institutions—to exercise conscientious objection.

In its response to these reasonable amendments, the Scottish Government stated that “it is not clear how an institution might demonstrate what their ‘conscience’ position is.”

The Bishops’ Conference strongly disagrees with this position, noting that every organisation has guiding values that shape its mission and practice.

For many faith‑based organisations, including Catholic hospices and care homes, these values are fundamentally incompatible with the introduction of assisted suicide. The Bishops’ Conference maintains that no organisation should be compelled by the State to participate in the deliberate ending of life when doing so would violate its ethical or religious principles.

The Bishops’ Conference urges the Scottish Government and MSPs to recognise and respect institutional conscience rights, ensuring that organisations are not forced into actions that contradict their foundational values.

Bishop John Keenan,
President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

What happens to medicine if doctors are asked to help end life?

The foundation of medical practice has always been to heal, to relieve suffering, and to protect life. Changing that role would fundamentally alter the relationship between patient and doctor.

Care and killing are not interchangeable. They represent two very different visions of what medicine is for.

Watch the video to hear why this question matters so deeply.

The more we know, the more we say no!

Write to your MSPs by visiting:
👉 https://carenotkilling.scot/

Carefully read the wording of the email before sending. Click the button and enter your postcode when prompted.

The Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland has raised serious concerns about the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, warning that the legislation as it currently stands does not provide adequate safeguards for healthcare professionals or patients.

While the College takes a neutral position on assisted dying in principle, it has made clear that no law of this magnitude should be introduced without strong legal protections.

RCGP Scotland has warned that doctors must have the clear right to choose whether or not to participate and must be protected from discrimination based on that decision. The College is also concerned that essential protections for healthcare staff could be removed due to questions about whether the Scottish Parliament has the legal power to include them in the Bill.

There are also concerns about the pressure already facing general practice. Introducing a complex service of this nature without proper structure, funding, and safeguards could place further strain on an already stretched healthcare system.

As the Scottish Parliament prepares to vote on this Bill, it is vital that serious questions about protections, oversight, and patient safety are fully addressed.

The more we know, the more we say no!


Scotland’s leading healthcare organisations raise serious concerns over proposed changes to Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.