The island of Jersey is one step closer to an assisted dying law, after States Members voted in favour 32 to 14 votes. My Death, My Decision and Humanists UK, both members of the Assisted Dying Coalition alongside End of Life Choices Jersey, welcome this vote of confidence in a safe, compassionate assisted dying law.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
‘This vote in favour of the Draft Law represents a historic moment for Jersey and a huge step forward for compassion, dignity, and choice at the end of life. For far too long, terminally ill people in the UK and Crown Dependencies have been denied the right to decide the manner and timing of their own deaths. Jersey is now on the cusp of changing that.
‘The proposals contain strong safeguards and reflect the clear wishes of the public, who have spoken through citizens’ juries and repeated surveys. Today, Members of the States Assembly have listened to those voices and are one step closer to bringing choice and compassion to those facing the hardest of circumstances.’
Richard Osborne, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:
‘A massive congratulations to the States Assembly of Jersey, for having a debate that was rooted in compassion and empathy. Politicians did an excellent job putting themselves in the shoes of the terminally ill, and they should be proud of the respectful debate they had.
‘I wish we could say the same of the debate on assisted dying happening in Westminster, which is currently facing a filibuster by a small group of members of the House of Lords, who are adamantly opposed to the law change. The Tynwald in the Isle of Man voted in favour of assisted dying, the States Assembly in Jersey and Holyrood in Scotland look set to do the same, will the terminally ill people of England and Wales be left behind?’
The debate:
The States Assembly began with a debate on end-of-life care, voting in favour of a proposition to create a statutory duty for the Minister for Health and Social Services to provide high-quality end-of-life care for all residents.
They then voted against delaying today’s debate on assisted dying, before debating and voting on support for the principle of the draft law.
Deputy Moz Scott, States Assembly member, delivered an emotional speech reflecting on her mother, who died by suicide following a terminal diagnosis; a friend with Parkinson’s disease who removed his feeding tube and refused further treatment; and her brother, who, while battling cancer, was unable to communicate and appeared, in her words, like ‘a living skeleton.’ She said:
‘I will be supporting the principles, in the confidence that it will be adequately scrutinised, and in the confidence we have a society that will support in every way this idea of love and humanity when dealing with others.’
Deputy Louise Doublet, States Assembly member, said:
‘As a humanist, I believe firmly that this is the one life we do have, I believe when we die that’s the end of it, that’s the end of our life. It’s hugely important to me to live a good life and live a life that involves being considerate of my fellow human beings and making ethical choices based on reason and evidence. And for me, that means at the end of my life, having choice and having autonomy over how one’s life is to end is hugely important.
Deputy Tom Binet, Minister for Health and Social Services, said:
‘It’s about both dignity and choice. By providing choice for those who want it, the draft law also brings forward a robust framework of controls to ensure that the safety of islanders and professionals is maintained.’
Deputy Montford Tadier, States Assembly member, said:
‘So whilst we can’t be responsible for the circumstances of our birth, we can hopefully be responsible for at least the big decisions that we make in our lives, and certainly one of those decisions should be the manner in which you might choose to die, the manner in which you choose to leave this earth and to leave your loved ones. Again, it comes down to the ability to say “I may never ever want to use this, it might be something that I can bear, but recognising that other people have different belief systems, and that other people, perhaps do want that safeguard at the end of their life, which is to have choice.”’
What happens next?
Proposed amendments include both principled changes to the draft law, such as removing a waiver of future consent, and practical changes, such as replacing one of the doctors if they can’t continue assessing, such as for health reasons.
The debate will return on 24 February, where States Assembly members will debate and vote on these amendments before the very last debate and vote on the Draft Law. If passed, it is anticipated that the assisted dying law will not come into force for another 18 months, likely late summer 2027.
History of change on assisted dying in Jersey
There is a clear democratic mandate for assisted dying in Jersey.
In 2018, 1,861 Jersey residents signed a petition calling for the States Assembly to allow for assisted dying. In 2019, there was an online public survey, a GP and doctors’ survey, and a public meeting and these all indicated strong support in the community for assisted dying. This led to the Jersey Assisted Dying Citizens’ Jury, a world-class democratic project, and their report and recommendations in 2021 overwhelmingly support assisted dying. Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson gave oral evidence to the citizens’ jury.
In May 2024, in a landmark vote, the States Assembly voted by a significant majority – 31 in favour, 15 against – to approve detailed proposals on assisted dying legislation. These detailed proposals have been turned into the Draft Law that has now come back before the Assembly.
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan@humanists.uk or phone 07456 200033. (media only)
Humanists UK is making the following photos available to the media to use – credit to Simona Sermont/Humanists UK – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision have people and their loved ones who would be affected by this change available for the press.
If you have been affected by the current assisted dying legislation, and want to use your story to support a change in the law, please email campaigns@humanists.uk.
Humanists defend the right of each individual to live by their own personal values, and the freedom to make decisions about their own life so long as this does not result in harm to others. Humanists do not share the attitudes to death and dying held by some religious believers, in particular that the manner and time of death are for a deity to decide, and that interference in the course of nature is unacceptable. We firmly uphold the right to life but we recognise that this right carries with it the right of each individual to make their own judgement about whether their life should be prolonged in the face of pointless suffering.
We recognise that any assisted dying law must contain strong safeguards and the international evidence from countries where assisted dying is legal shows that safeguards can be effective. We also believe that the choice of assisted dying should not be considered an alternative to palliative care, but should be offered together as in many other countries.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.
My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.
Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are both members of the Assisted Dying Coalition, along with Friends at the End, Humanist Society Scotland, and End of Life Choices Jersey.