Today, the States Assembly approved of the proposition on assisted dying as proposed by the Council of Ministers with 31 votes in favour, 15 votes against and no abstentions. To read the entire proposition click here.
The amended proposal for legislation includes many provisions and safeguards, upon which each were voted individually. The basic criteria that people are only eligible if they are above the age of 18, residents of Jersey, have made a voluntary, informed with to end their own life and have the capacity to make this decision was followed by votes regarding unbearable suffering and terminal physical condition criteria.
The criteria unbearable suffering was rejected with 19 votes for and 27 votes against and the terminal physical condition criteria was approved with 32 votes for and 14 votes against.
Interestingly, the proposal relinquishes medical practitioners from providing assisted dying if they do not want to and sets a minimum time between requesting assisted dying and administration of the substance.
To read the full vote, click here.
Jersey