Assisted dying in Jersey should be free, consultation finds

The responses answered questions on how an assisted dying service could be delivered in Jersey

Nearly half of respondents to the second phase of an assisted dying consultation in Jersey believe the service should be free.

More than 1,300 islanders responded to a consultation that ran from October 2022 to January 2023.

The responses answered questions on how an assisted dying service could be delivered in the island.

The report found 47% who responded believed only islanders should have access to it, with 30% disagreeing.

A total of 45% of respondents believed the service should be free of charge, compared to 30% who disagreed with 25% saying they did not know.

Survey organisers also noted it believed a campaign group tried to influence the outcome of the consultation as 67 emails contained "pre-filled answers to the survey questions" that were "repeated by a number of online survey respondents".

Ethical and moral considerations

Karen Wilson, minister for Health and Social Services said information would be used as part of proposals she will put to the Council of Ministers in June.

She said: "Assisted dying is a sensitive subject on which public and professional opinion is often very divided, as illustrated by the differing views expressed by those who responded to the consultation.

"For this reason, the Council of Ministers has agreed that the proposals considered by the States Assembly later this year should be further informed by specialists with a background in medical ethics and law, who hold a range of views on assisted dying."

An external review will be held to identify the "ethical and moral considerations around assisted dying" in the summer.

Proposals will then be "refined" in the autumn, proposals lodged for debate in December and a debate held in February 2024.

If approved by the States Assembly, a law will be drafted in March 2024.

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