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A private member’s bill on assisted dying will be tabled in the Isle of Man after a landslide vote yesterday.
The Crown Dependency joins Jersey and Scotland in considering legislation, while the States of Guernsey voted against similar proposals in 2018.
The Isle of Man legislation, tabled by Dr Alex Allinson, would enable terminally ill, mentally competent adults the choice of an assisted death, subject to strict safeguards and alongside end-of-life care. A public consultation will be held on the island over the summer, with a draft bill available by the end of the year.
Pictured: Both the Isle of Man and Jersey have progressed with assisted dying legislation proposals.
Speaking in Tuesday’s debate on the issue, Dr Allinson referenced “legislative progress in Jersey”.
“In Jersey, a citizen’s jury and its parliament, the States Assembly, last year approved the principle of assisted dying and draft legislation will be drafted later this year for debate in 2023,” said Dr Allinson.
The Isle of Man’s parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing the bill to be introduced, following Jersey’s historic vote in favour of the principle of introducing assisted dying in November last year.
36 members of Jersey’s Assembly voted in favour of the proposal, with just 10 voting against it, after the proposition was made following recommendation from a Citizen’s Jury of 23 islanders.
The outcome of the Jersey vote was the first of its kind in the British Isles. Guernsey last debated assisted dying in 2018, voting against proposals 24 votes to 14.
Pictued: Members of the Jersey States' Assembly voted in in favour of the principle of introducing assisted dying 36 votes to 10.
In 2021, Guernsey’s Policy & Resources Committee de-prioritised a review of end-of-life care, instead adding it to a list of projects considered desirable by the States but provided with no funding and no completion date. The Assembly then forced the issue into a list of work to be undertaken before 2025, indicating a willingness to re-examine the issue.
Dr Allinson told members in the Isle of Man debate: “This is not an issue that is going to go away, nor a problem that we can continue to seek to ignore.
“As Parliamentarians and legislators, we now have the opportunity to represent the people who placed us here, to ask for their views and wishes for the future. This is the first step in any meaningful change and I ask for your support to step closer to a time when those dying on our island genuinely have choice, respect and can receive any support they require.”
A survey of public opinion last year indicated that around two-thirds of people in all three Crown Dependencies, including Guernsey, were in support of legalising assisted dying.
Pictured: Isle of Man proposals include "strict safeguards" in enabling terminally ill, mentally competent adults the choice of an assisted death.
Dignity in Dying Chief Executive, Sarah Wootton, has been campaigning for change in the law on assisted dying across the British Isles.
“This vote today represents a victory for compassion and common-sense, not just for the Isle of Man but the whole of the British Isles,” she said.
“Parliamentarians are quickly catching up with the public on assisted dying, recognising that it is becoming increasingly untenable to defend laws that fail to provide terminally ill people with the choice and protection they want and need.
“We commend Members of the House of Keys for grasping this nettle and taking steps towards a safer and more compassionate future for its dying citizens, alongside law-makers in Jersey and Scotland.”
“Assisted dying must be given the time and respect it deserves in Parliament. Continuing to ban this option not only lacks compassion; it represents a serious risk to patient safety which can no longer be ignored.”
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