Police call for ‘clarity’ over assisted deaths for 16-years-olds in Scotland
Police call for ‘clarity’ over assisted deaths for 16-years-olds in Scotland
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A senior police officer has said “clarity” is needed over proposals that could allow terminally ill 16-year-olds in Scotland to get help to end their life – with concerns raised with MSPs it could “make Scotland an attractive place to come” for those considering assisted dying.
A Bill before Holyrood proposes giving terminally ill adults the right to seek help to die, with the legislation, put forward by Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur, setting out that an adult is a “person who is aged 16 or over”. However, similar legislation being considered by the House of Commons would only allow those aged 18 or older to seek an assisted death.
And Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson of Police Scotland said that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was “fairly clear and unambiguous” that “you are a child until the age of 18”. His comments came as Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray again made clear the Scottish Government’s view that measures in the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill exceed Holyrood’s powers.
As MSPs on Holyrood’s Health Committee continued their scrutiny of the Bill, Mr Johnson spoke of the need for “clarity” on whether someone is an adult at 16 or 18. The assistant chief constable said: “Clearly, if the person is 17, under one convention they are a child. But, according to the Bill, a 16-year-old can determine they want to move forward with a Bill that seeks to end their life.
“I would seek that clarity – are they considered by the Bill an adult at 16? And, if so, that is not consistent with lots of other pieces of legislation in Scotland and we would need real clear guidance on that, and guidelines on what is the role of parents of children, if it is deemed by Parliament you did want it to be available to children, as defined by the UNCRC.”.
