Rare Friday sitting at Holyrood as MSPs debate assisted dying Bill amendments

MSPs will sit on a Friday for the first time in a number of years as they seek to finish debating hundreds of amendments to assisted dying legislation.

With more than 300 amendments tabled to Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, MSPs have already sat late on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week to discuss them.

In a bid to ensure all amendments have been considered before a final debate on the Bill next Tuesday, Holyrood agreed the unusual step of sitting on a Friday.

The Bill, if passed, would allow for terminally-ill Scots to seek help to end their life – with MSPs having this week changed the Bill to make clear a person would have to be “reasonably expected” to die within six months before seeking an assisted death.

The last time Parliament sat on a Friday was in January 2021, with a hybrid meeting that was held during the Covid pandemic.

MSPs first sat on a Friday in October 2000, when a special session was held to mark the death of Donald Dewar, who was Scotland’s first first minister.

There were also two virtual question-time sessions held on Fridays in April 2020, during the pandemic.