Jersey assisted dying law granted Royal Assent
BBC News 2026-07-09 14:08:11
Context: The government of Jersey has granted Royal Assent to a law allowing terminally ill adults to choose to end their own lives, making it the first part of the British Isles to legalize assisted dying. The law, which was approved by the States in February 2026, will come into force when it is registered at Jersey's Royal Court, with the assisted dying service expected to begin on schedule later next year. The Minister for Health and Social Services, Tom Binet, expressed his delight at the granting of Royal Assent and emphasized the government's focus on setting up the service.
Key Facts
- The Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law 2026 was approved by the States in February 2026, with 32 members voting in favor and 16 against, and will come into force when it is registered at Jersey's Royal Court.
- To be eligible for an assisted death, individuals must have been resident in Jersey for at least 12 months, have a voluntary, settled, and informed wish to end their own life, and be terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months, or 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative disease.
- The law was granted Royal Assent after the Ministry of Justice and the Lord Chancellor, David Lammy, ensured that the proposed laws did not conflict with fundamental rights or international rules and recommended to the Privy Council that assent should be granted.
- Lorna Pirozzolo, a campaigner with incurable breast cancer, expressed her relief at the granting of Royal Assent, stating that it means no one will have to experience "torturous symptoms in their final days, weeks, occasionally months".
- The Isle of Man's Tynwald became the first parliament in the British Isles to agree a framework for assisted dying in March 2025, but has not yet been granted Royal Assent due to concerns over key safeguards, including those around coercion.