Friends at the End member and former GP, Dr Iain Kerr has been in the news recently:

Daily Mail: I helped patients to end their lives: Pro-euthanasia doctor reveals how he gave sleeping pills to elderly couple - and helped two more die

The Herald: Doctor faces police probe

Scottish Television: Doctor claims to have helped patients who wanted to end their lives (video)

Scottish Television: Police to review case of doctor who admitted helping patients die (video)

BBC: Police review after retired GP Dr Iain Kerr admits helping patients to die

Press Statement from Margo MacDonald MSP

Embargo : 06:00 Wednesday 19 September 2012

Margo MacDonald has today lodged her second proposal for a Bill on Assisted Suicide. Having collected the eighteen MSP signatures necessary to move forward to the preparation of a Bill, Ms MacDonald said;

Possibly due to the recent sad and shocking coverage of how Tony Nicklinson died, MSPs have a better awareness of the issue. I found more MSPs than last time considering giving support to my Bill.

Also, like last time a couple of the MSPs signed to take the Bill to Stage 1, not because they had already made up their minds on the issue, but because they judged that it should be debated given the level of public interest.

I believe the Bill will benefit from the developments in understanding Assisted Death, due in large part to legal challenges in England.

The Consultation process has been successful in providing even more information about the reality of the end of life experience for a small, but fairly steady number of people, many of whom, according to their loved ones would have chosen to end their lives, rather than allow nature to do so in what they considered to be an intolerable condition.

Note to editors

Any proposal for a Members Bill must secure support from 18 colleagues in order for it to progress further. The proposal lodged this morning has already secured this number and over the coming months Margo MacDonald will be working with the Non-Government Bill Unit (NGBU) to produce a Bill, the text of which should be available in early 2013.

Proposal

Proposal for a Bill to enable a competent adult with a terminal illness or condition to request assistance to end their own life, and to decriminalise certain actions taken by others to provide such assistance.

For further comment please contact: Margo MacDonald MSP on 07968 802852

Ends

The August newsletter of the Farewell Foundation can be read online here. Please feel free to share it with friends.

Contents:

• Updates on the Carter case in British Columbia and the Leblanc case in Quebec.
• Remembering Margaret Lunam, 1921 – 2012
• Farewell Foundation consultation on Procedures for Attending a Self Chosen Death
• Pictorial on World Federation of Right to Die Societies, Zurich
• Farewell Foundation in Scotland
• Final Exit Network back in court
• Farewell director receives 5th Marilynne Seguin award 

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Consultation on Margo MacDonald MSP Proposed Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill

We would like to encourage all our supporters to respond to the consultation.

The consultation can be found here. It is a:

Proposal for a Bill to enable a competent adult with a terminal illness or condition to request assistance to end their own life, and to decriminalise certain actions taken by others to provide such assistance.

Closing date: 30 April 2012

Note: To help you submit a response, we have created a Microsoft Word template to fill in electronically and a pdf template that can be printed out and filled in manually.

We urge all our supporters to submit a response — there will be no shortage of responses from those opposed to the Bill, so every contribution will make a difference. Even if you cannot answer all the questions, please respond to the ones you can. Even responding: "I fully support the intention of this proposed legislation" would be very helpful.

Additionally, you could write to your MSP (and send him/her a copy of your response) and contemplate 'popping-in' to the local surgery to discuss it face-to-face. Also note that responses to the consultation are welcomed from outside the UK.