Jersey assisted dying plans for terminally ill approved
Jersey politicians have voted to approve plans to allow assisted dying for those with a terminal illness "causing unbearable suffering".
The States Assembly has been debating two routes through which people who have lived in Jersey for longer than a year, are 18 or over and have decision-making capacity could apply for assisted dying. A total of 32 members voted in favour while 14 voted against route one.
The second route, for those who are not terminally ill but who have an incurable medical condition causing unbearable suffering, was rejected by a majority of 27 to 19.
Plans for legalising assisted dying were voted on in principle by the assembly in 2021, but the aim of the vote was to decide how it could work in practice.
With a decision now made, the process for drafting a law could take about 18 months, with a debate then taking place by the end of 2025.
If a law is approved, it is expected a further 18-month implementation period would then begin, meaning the earliest for it to come into effect would be summer 2027.
Speaking after the debate, Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said "robust safeguards" would be "enshrined in law." He thanked the assembly for a "thoughtful, respectful and considered" debate.
Source: BBC News, 22 May 2024