Leading Scots solicitor ends own life in assisted dying clinic after long illness

One of Scotland’s leading solicitors has ended his own life in a Swiss clinic after a long illness.Bruce De Wert who was suffering from a severe form of Multiple Sclerosis travelled from Scotland to Basel in Switzerland last month.The 69-year-old undertook the journey on his own having informed his family, including his wife and two adult daughters, of his intentions of an assisted death.Daughter Nicole De Wert-Wightman said her carefully planned all the details himself including his memorial service which took place last week.The 44-year-old said: “I think he had been contemplating Switzerland for some time.“Dad always had a back up plan.

He was becoming more and more disabled and he was deteriorating quite significantly.“It was horrible to watch. He did look quite frail where he had been strong and fit and did every sport under the sun.“Dad had been looking forward to his retirement and travelling round Europe and `I think it came as a shock to realise he would not be able to do that.”“He had lost his independence and did not want to be a burden.

He did not want to go into a home and did not particularly want carers in his home.”Last week around 60 family, friends and former colleagues attended a moving humanist memorial service at the Parkville Hotel in Blantyre, Lanarkshire.Tributes were led to the veteran solicitor in a 30 minute long ceremony followed by a buffet meal.His death comes at a time when there are new moves in the Scottish Parliament to make assisted dying legal, after two previous bills failed.Nicole, who has two teenage daughters, said it came as a shock when dad told the family of his plans to travel to Switzerland.She also said her dad did not want to end up in care or his wife forced to look after