The debate over Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying Bill continues to occupy the thoughts of Herald readers.​

Last week Nicola Sturgeon intervened in the debate, saying that she was “deeply conflicted” on the matter, adding that she may vote against the bill.

Read our report here 👈

Today, a correspondent argues that the former First Minister is right to have doubts.

David Kennedy of Glasgow writes:

"Nicola Sturgeon injects a refreshing note into the debate over Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying Bill. She turns the focus of the debate on to enabling the dying person "to live in as much peace and comfort as possible" and to helping people "even in the worst of circumstances to live with dignity".

That’s a healthy challenge to the intention within the McArthur bill. Ms Sturgeon’s view is that we ensure dignity in dying by supporting a person to live as well as possible right up to the moment of death. Mr McArthur’s proposal is that we should offer dying people a premature and uncomfortable death.

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We should be clear that Liam McArthur’s bill is not about assisted dying. Assisted dying is already a reality, in so many forms, from the informal support and assistance that family and friends give to a dying person to the professional skills of a palliative care team. His proposed bill is about another category altogether: suicide. Ms Sturgeon’s thinking gets to the heart of the issue. It faces us with a clear choice: we either support the dying person up to his or her natural death or we promote unnatural death in the form of suicide."