Let Scotland Decide: A People’s Vote on Assisted Dying
Let Scotland Decide: A People’s Vote on Assisted Dying
The Issue
Petition:
We call on the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to give the people of Scotland a direct vote on the legalisation of assisted dying for terminally ill adults.
Statement:
The recent vote in Parliament has closed the door on a question that does not belong to politicians alone.
This is not a routine policy issue. It is one of the most profound moral questions any society can face: how we allow people to live, and how we allow them to die.
Ultimately above all else, we as humans should have the right to self determination at the end of life, not be condemned to suffer a torturous end because someone else deems it so.
Yet despite the weight of this issue, the decision has been taken out of the hands of the Scottish people.
This is not reflective of public opinion.
Multiple large-scale, credible studies show overwhelming support across Scotland for assisted dying in strictly defined circumstances:
Around 78% of Scots support a change in the law, based on polling of over 4,000 people across the country (Dignity in Dying)
More recent research indicates around 81% support for allowing terminally ill people the choice to seek assistance to die (STV News)
Support exists in every single constituency in Scotland, demonstrating this is not a fringe view, but a national one (dignityindyingscotland.org.uk)
This is not a divided country. It is a country where a clear majority believe in compassion, dignity, and choice at the end of life.
And yet, that majority has been overruled.
Parliament has the authority to legislate. But on an issue of this magnitude, authority must be matched with legitimacy. That legitimacy can only come from the people themselves.
We are told Scotland believes in self-determination. That principle cannot stop at the ballot box during elections. It must extend to the most personal decision any individual can ever face.
We therefore call for:
A national, legally recognised people’s vote on assisted dying
A commitment that the outcome of that vote will directly inform future legislation
This is about dignity.
This is about compassion.
This is about allowing people, in their final moments, to choose peace over suffering.
Let Scotland decide.
17
The Issue
Petition:
We call on the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to give the people of Scotland a direct vote on the legalisation of assisted dying for terminally ill adults.
Statement:
The recent vote in Parliament has closed the door on a question that does not belong to politicians alone.
This is not a routine policy issue. It is one of the most profound moral questions any society can face: how we allow people to live, and how we allow them to die.
Ultimately above all else, we as humans should have the right to self determination at the end of life, not be condemned to suffer a torturous end because someone else deems it so.
Yet despite the weight of this issue, the decision has been taken out of the hands of the Scottish people.
This is not reflective of public opinion.
Multiple large-scale, credible studies show overwhelming support across Scotland for assisted dying in strictly defined circumstances:
Around 78% of Scots support a change in the law, based on polling of over 4,000 people across the country (Dignity in Dying)
More recent research indicates around 81% support for allowing terminally ill people the choice to seek assistance to die (STV News)
Support exists in every single constituency in Scotland, demonstrating this is not a fringe view, but a national one (dignityindyingscotland.org.uk)
This is not a divided country. It is a country where a clear majority believe in compassion, dignity, and choice at the end of life.
And yet, that majority has been overruled.
Parliament has the authority to legislate. But on an issue of this magnitude, authority must be matched with legitimacy. That legitimacy can only come from the people themselves.
We are told Scotland believes in self-determination. That principle cannot stop at the ballot box during elections. It must extend to the most personal decision any individual can ever face.
We therefore call for:
A national, legally recognised people’s vote on assisted dying
A commitment that the outcome of that vote will directly inform future legislation
This is about dignity.
This is about compassion.
This is about allowing people, in their final moments, to choose peace over suffering.
Let Scotland decide.
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 17 March 2026