Jersey passes assisted dying legislation but bill for England and Wales remains blocked

"Jersey's parliament, the States Assembly, has just passed its assisted dying bill after a final debate. This will allow terminally ill adults with mental capacity to have an assisted death if they are expected to die within six months, or 12 months if they have a neurological condition like motor neurone disease."

"The measure which most sets apart the Jersey legislation from the rest of the British Isles concerns the manner in which those eligible for an assisted death can end their lives. Individuals will be able to choose to have a doctor administer a lethal dose intravenously, as happens in Spain, Canada, New Zealand and most of Australia."

"The parliament voted on Wednesday to keep the provision of a waiver. This will allow doctors to administer a lethal drug infusion, even if the eligible person has lost capacity. This might mean they are no longer conscious."

Five parliaments across the British Isles have now addressed assisted dying legislation. Jersey's States Assembly has passed its assisted dying bill, which permits terminally ill adults with mental capacity to access assisted death if expected to die within six months, or twelve months for neurological conditions like motor neurone disease. A key distinction of Jersey's law is that eligible individuals can choose to have a doctor administer a lethal dose intravenously, making it voluntary euthanasia similar to practices in Spain, Canada, and New Zealand. In contrast, proposed legislation at Westminster, Holyrood, and Tynwald require self-administration of lethal doses. Jersey's parliament rejected amendments to restrict doctor administration and voted to retain a waiver allowing doctors to administer lethal drugs even if the person has lost capacity. The bill now proceeds to Royal Assent.

Read at www.bbc.com