MPs vote in favour of assisted dying: how does UK legislation compare to Jersey?

  • ITV News reporter Fred Dimbleby weighs up the similarities and differences between the UK's and Jersey's legislation on assisted dying

  • Broadcast on Friday 29 November

UK politicians have voted in favour of legalising assisted dying for terminally ill people in England and Wales.

The bill was approved by 330 MPs, with 275 voting against, for its second reading.

It's a step towards backing the right for adults with less than six months to live to choose to end their own lives.

However, the UK Parliament is not the first in the British Isles to make steps towards inscribing assisted dying into law.

There have also been suggestions that Jersey's process and laws helped to influence the UK's legislation.

In June 2021, more than three-quarters of Jersey's Citizens' Panel voted overwhelmingly in favour of making assisted dying legal in Jersey.

It led to 36 Jersey politicians voting in favour of allowing assisted dying in November 2021, with 10 voting against.

At the time, the proposition agreed in principle that Jersey would allow assisted dying for Jersey residents, over the age of 18 who are terminally ill and experiencing unbearable suffering that cannot be alleviated.

Politicians debated two routes of assisted dying:

  • 'Route 1' is for people with a terminal illness who have less than six months to live, or 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative condition.

  • The 'Route 2' category is for those who have been "diagnosed with an incurable physical condition that is giving rise to unbearable suffering that cannot be alleviated in a manner the person deems tolerable".

In May 2024, politicians in Jersey voted through Route 1 by 32 votes to 14 with no abstentions.

Route 2, however, was rejected by 27 votes to 19 with no abstentions.

Jersey Health Minister, Deputy Tom Binet, has previously praised the UK, suggesting Jersey's plans may have acted as a template for the UK. Credit: ITV Channel

It means Jersey goes a little further than England and Wales, with the inclusion of eligibility for those with 12 months left to live if they have a neurodegenerative condition.

Similarities, however, include the stipulation of having a terminal illness to be eligible and the need for multiple doctors to be involved in the decision process.

Jersey's Health Minister, Tom Binet, previously suggested that the island's legislation may have influenced the UK.

He explained: "Whilst we can't claim responsibility for the UK going forward, what we have done is embolden people.

"We're more than an influence. I think the work that's been done has been so comprehensive that other people are looking at that as a template to work from."

Jersey's assisted dying law is now being drafted by officials and will come back to the States Assembly for final approval towards the end of 2025.

The UK must now go through committee and report stages, as well as the House of Lords before the law can be enacted.

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