A NEW Bill to legalise assisted suicide has been launched, with hopes public support will see it succeed.
Independent MSP Margo MacDonald's Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill is backed by Glasgow MSP Patrick Harvie and by campaigners calling for dignity for those wishing to end their life for medical reasons.
Ms MacDonald's previous Bill was voted down at Holyrood, but she hopes this time will be different.
She said: "I have sensed from the beginning that there was a change because of the volume of support that we can demonstrate, I am pretty sure of that.
"I know that there are people who believe that if they get to the stage where life is absolutely intolerable because of pain and indignity, they would like to end their life before nature intended, and we think they should have the choice to do so."
Campaigners Dignity in Dying backed the MSP to succeed where she failed in 2010.
Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said: "In line with the majority of public, Dignity in Dying believes that dying people should not have to suffer against their wishes. Within up-front safeguards, they should have choice and control over their own death. To that end, we support a change in the law to allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults the choice of an assisted death."
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