Your rights and assisted dying
We cannot help you to die or advise you about ending your life.
Providing information, advice, support or assistance to anyone intending to take their own life is against the law.
The law in Scotland
There is no specific crime of assisting a suicide in Scotland. But it is possible that helping a person to die could lead to prosecution for murder, culpable homicide or reckless endangerment.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, it is illegal to help someone die.
This means that it is not legal for a friend, family member, or anyone else to help someone die, even if they are terminally ill. If you help a terminally ill loved one end their life, you could face a police investigation, prosecution, and a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
We believe this is wrong, and we’re fighting to give people the right to choose an assisted death. Find out more about why the law on assisted dying needs to change.
Doctors are forbidden from helping people to die
All doctors in the UK are regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC) and must abide by its ethical guidance. The GMC guidance does not permit doctors to provide assistance to die.
Any doctor who helps their patient to die could face:
- disciplinary action
- being struck off from the GMC’s register
- losing their right to practise in the UK
- criminal prosecution and a prison sentence
Refusing medical treatment
You can refuse medical treatment, even if the treatment is necessary to save or prolong your life. You must consent to any medical treatment you are given. Consent means giving your permission for a healthcare professional to give you a particular medical examination or treatment. To give consent you must:
- understand the treatment
- make your own choice without pressure
- have the mental capacity to consent
Compassion in Dying
Compassion in Dying, our sister charity, can help you make informed decisions, start honest conversations about death and dying with your loved ones, and record and revisit your wishes whenever you want, for free.
Compassion in Dying offers support with a range of different things, including:
- Information and support by phone: A free nurse-led information line offering honest and compassionate information and support
- Information online: free, clear, honest information to support people to make informed decisions about the end of their life and start conversations about death and dying with loved ones
- Help when wishes aren’t respected: Support if a dying peron’s wishes are not being heard and respected.
- Online living will (advance decision) service: Support writing a living will, a form which lets you refuse any medical treatments that you do not want to be given in the future.