Editing Assisted suicide (section)

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Assisted suicide in the United Kingdom}}

====England and Wales====
Deliberately assisting a suicide is illegal.<ref>[[Richard Huxtable|Huxtable, Richard]]{{cite book | vauthors = Huxtable R |author-link= Richard Huxtable |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge Cavendish |location=Abingdon, UK; New York |isbn=978-1-84472-106-1 |title=Euthanasia, Ethics and the Law: From Conflict to Compromise }}</ref> Between 2003 and 2006, [[Joel Joffe, Baron Joffe|Lord Joffe]] made four attempts to introduce bills that would have legalised physician-assisted suicide in England and Wales. All were rejected by the UK Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/overview/asstdyingbill_1.shtml |title=Assisted Dying Bill – latest |newspaper=[[BBC News Online]] |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=2 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202112624/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/overview/asstdyingbill_1.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> In the meantime, the Director of Public Prosecutions has clarified the criteria under which an individual will be prosecuted in England and Wales for assisting in another person's suicide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/press_releases/144_09|title=DPP publishes interim policy on prosecuting assisted suicide: The Crown Prosecution Service|work=cps.gov.uk|date=23 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927195736/http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/press_releases/144_09|archive-date=27 September 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> These have not been tested by an appellate court as yet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk/a-critical-consideration-of-the-director-of-public-prosecutions-guidelines-in-relation-to-assisted-suicide-prosecutions-and-their-application-to-the-law/|title=A Critical Consideration of the Director of Public Prosecutions Guidelines in Relation to Assisted Suicide Prosecutions and their Application to the Law|work=halsburyslawexchange.co.uk|access-date=4 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306015157/http://www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk/a-critical-consideration-of-the-director-of-public-prosecutions-guidelines-in-relation-to-assisted-suicide-prosecutions-and-their-application-to-the-law/|archive-date=6 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2014, [[Lord Falconer]] of Thoroton tabled an Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Lords which passed its Second Reading but ran out of time before the general election. During its passage peers voted down two amendments which were proposed by opponents of the Bill. In 2015, Labour MP [[Rob Marris]] introduced another Bill, based on the Falconer proposals, in the House of Commons. The Second Reading was the first time the House was able to vote on the issue since 1997. A Populus poll had found that 82% of the British public agreed with the proposals of Lord Falconer's Assisted Dying Bill.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.populus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Dignity-in-Dying-Poll-March-2015-WEBSITE-DATATABLES.pdf|title=Dignity in Dying Poll|date=2015|work=Populus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617124821/http://www.populus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Dignity-in-Dying-Poll-March-2015-WEBSITE-DATATABLES.pdf|archive-date= 17 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, in a free vote on 11 September 2015, only 118 MPs were in favour and 330 against, thus defeating the bill.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34208624|title=Assisted Dying Bill: MPs reject 'right to die' law|vauthors=Gallagher J, Roxby P|date=11 September 2015|work=BBC News|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-date=4 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004172546/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34208624|url-status=live}}</ref> Another bill called [[Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill]] on assisted suicide for terminally ill adults was voted on and passed on 29 November 2024, upon second reading.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-29 |title=MPs back proposals to legalise assisted dying |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgzkp79npgo |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Further stages of Parliament's consideration of the bill should proceed.

====Scotland====
Unlike the other jurisdictions in the United Kingdom, suicide was not illegal in Scotland before 1961 (and still is not) thus no associated offences were created in imitation. Depending on the actual nature of any assistance given to a suicide, the offences of murder or [[culpable homicide]] might be committed or there might be no offence at all; the nearest modern prosecutions bearing comparison might be those where a culpable homicide conviction has been obtained when drug addicts have died unintentionally after being given "hands on" non-medical assistance with an injection. Modern law regarding the assistance of someone who intends to die has a lack of certainty as well as a lack of relevant case law; this has led to attempts to introduce statutes providing more certainty.

Independent MSP Margo MacDonald's "End of Life Assistance Bill" was brought before the Scottish Parliament to permit physician-assisted suicide in January 2010. The [[Catholic]] Church and the [[Church of Scotland]], the largest denomination in Scotland, opposed the bill. The bill was rejected by a vote of 85–16 (with 2 abstentions) in December 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/38-EndLifeAssist/index.htm |title=End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill (SP Bill 38) |date=21 January 2010 |publisher=The Scottish Parliament |access-date=12 June 2011 |archive-date=10 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810060725/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/38-EndLifeAssist/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11876821 |title=Margo MacDonald's End of Life Assistance Bill rejected |newspaper=[[BBC News Online]] |date=1 December 2010 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=5 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205233700/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11876821 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{anchor|ASSB}} The Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 13 November 2013 by the late [[Margo MacDonald]] MSP and was taken up by [[Patrick Harvie]] MSP on Ms MacDonald's death. The Bill entered the main committee scrutiny stage in January 2015 and reached a vote in Parliament several months later; however the bill was again rejected.{{citation needed|date= November 2024}}

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced by [[Liam McArthur]] MSP on 27 March 2024. It would allow terminally adults to request and receive assistance from medical professionals to end their life.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/s6/assisted-dying-for-terminally-ill-adults-scotland-bill |title=Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill |date=2024 |publisher=The Scottish Parliament |access-date=4 December 2024 }}</ref>

====Northern Ireland====
Health is a [[devolved matter]] in the United Kingdom and as such it would be for the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] to legislate for assisted dying as it sees fit. As of 2018, there has been no such bill tabled in the Assembly.