Scotland's assisted dying bill - legalising terminally ill people seeing medical help to end their own lives - has passed an initial vote in Holyrood.
The legislation, which requires the person to be deemed mentally competent as well as being terminally ill, has been the source of much debate in recent weeks.
Now, the BBC reports, a vote on the general principles of the bill has been passed in Holyrood with 70 votes for and 56 against.
But before the bill could pass into law it would need to pass two further phases of scrutiny in parliament.
SNP MSPSs Jackie Dunbar for Aberdeen Donside, Gillian Martin for Aberdeenshire East, Audrey Nicoll for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, and Kevin Stewart for Aberdeen Central all voted for the bill, along with Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West Alexander Burnett.
Maurice Golden and Tess White, Scottish Conservative MSPs for North East Scotland, both voted against the bill, while their party colleagues in the North-east, Liam Kerr and Douglas Lumsden were in favour of it.
Labour's North East Scotland MSPs Michael Marra and Mercedes Villalba both voted against assisted dying but it was backed by Maggie Chapman, Scotish Greens.
First minister John Swinney voted against the bill after last week revealing his opposition to it based on family and religious reasons.