Dark day as Jersey assisted suicide law receives Royal Assent

Jersey’s assisted suicide law has been granted Royal Assent, enabling eligible residents to get help to kill themselves as early as next year.

The legislation allows assisted suicide or euthanasia — where a doctor or nurse may directly administer the lethal drugs to end the life of their patient — for terminally ill adults who are expected to die within six months, or 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative condition.

The Bill was passed in February by 32 votes to 16. Royal Assent was needed as Jersey is a Crown Dependency, so the Ministry of Justice is responsible for ensuring laws align with human rights and international obligations.

It is the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted suicide, though amended legislation on the Isle of Man is currently awaiting Royal Assent after it was initially rejected over human rights concerns.

Vulnerable at risk

Jersey’s Minister for Health and Social Services Tom Binet welcomed the news, and claimed the law had been ‘thoroughly considered’ and was “comprehensive”.

However, campaign group Care Not Killing expressed “deep disappointment” at the announcement, arguing that the legislation conflicts with human rights as it “fails to adequately test for coercion, duress or undue influence — particularly in the case of disabled people — by relying on an ‘assessing doctor simply asking the individual if anyone has coerced them'”.

Its CEO, Dr Gordon Macdonald, said: “This legislation will fundamentally alter health and palliative care on Jersey and put the lives of vulnerable people at risk, exactly as we have seen in those places that have introduced assisted suicide or euthanasia.”

Lacking protections

He added: “It fails on a number of fronts, including: lack of legal protections for doctors and nurses who do not want to be involved, protections for the elderly and disabled people at risk of being coerced, will see money taken out of palliative care and has been sold to the public as a way to end suffering”.

Dr Macdonald noted: “Importantly, as our lawyers have pointed out, this law does not comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and is not compatible with the UK’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We will be consulting our lawyers to determine our next steps and how and when this dangerous law can be challenged.”