First place in British Isles set to approve right to die
Published: 02 March 2025, 11:34:24
A law to give terminally ill adults on the Isle of Man the right to end their own lives is entering its final stages, making it potentially the first jurisdiction in the British Isles to legalise assisted dying.
Anyone over the age of 18 and with a prognosis of 12 months or fewer to live would be eligible, under the legislation being debated in the Manx parliament.
The bill will not be passed yet, since the Isle of Man’s lower house has rejected an amendment that would have meant people would only need residency on the island for one year to take advantage of the legislation.
The House of Keys continued to insist on five-year residency and have sent the legislation back to the upper house.
The move comes as MPs in Westminster are scrutinising a bill that would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. A separate bill is under discussion in Scotland.
People on the Isle of Man eligible to request assisted dying would have to:
* Be terminally ill and “reasonably expected” to die within 12 months
* Be over the age of 18
* Be registered with an Isle of Man GP
* Have the legal capacity to make the decision
* Have the decision verified by two independent doctors
The measures have been a matter of strong debate in Tynwald, the island’s parliament.
It is likely the bill will receive Royal Assent and become law, with the scheme possibly up and running by 2027.
Jersey – a self-governing territory like the Isle of Man which can make its own laws – is also moving ahead with legislation to establish an assisted dying service.
