A law allowing terminally ill adults the right to end their life has been passed in the Isle of Man.
Once brought into law, the Assisted Dying Bill will see residents of the British territory allowed the choice to be provided with medical assistance to end their own life.
The bill previously passed through the House of Keys, the elected parliament on the Isle of Man, and passed through the upper Legislative Council with agreed amendments.
These amendments have now been agreed by the House of Keys, which means the bill can now be put forward to the King for Royal Assent.
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Once the bill receives Royal Assent, it will then be implemented into law, which is expected to take place in 2027. This would make the Isle of Man the first territory in the British Isles where terminally ill adults are allowed the choice to end their own life.
Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said: “This is a historic moment for compassion in the Isle of Man and for the whole of the British Isles. We pay tribute to Dr Allinson MHK for bringing forward this change and his commitment to a detailed and comprehensive legislative process.
"This is for Sue Biggerstaff’s husband Simon and Millie Blenkinsop-French's son James, who died without choice over their deaths; and for many more families who have tirelessly called for change. Sue and Millie have lead the charge for choice in the Isle of Man and their campaigning means no one will be forced to suffer at the end.
“Dying people and their families are the lifeblood of the movement for choice at the end of life, powering progress right across the British Isles.
"Increasingly parliamentarians are listening to their experience, acting upon evidence from around the world and crafting legislation that is safe, fair, and right for each society, culture and healthcare system Change is coming across the British Isles and the Isle of Man has led the way.”
Sue Biggerstaff, from Ballabeg, whose husband Simon died of Motor Neurone Disease in 2022, said: “I am delighted that dying people like my husband Simon will soon have choice over their deaths. No one should have to suffer like he did at the end.
"I thank members of both Houses for their dedication and hard work on this process. History has been made today and Simon’s legacy is that people like him will soon be granted the compassion and choice that they deserve.”
The Isle of Man's assisted dying bill explained
The Assisted Dying Bill 2023 will allow terminally ill residents in the Isle of Man the right to end their own lives once it enters its final stages.
The aim of the bill would allow an adult who is mentally competent but terminally ill to be provided with assistance to end their own life with medical help.
In order to be eligible to request assisted dying, an individual must meet the following criteria:
- Be over the age of 18
- Have a prognosis of 12 months to live or less
- Have the capacity to make the decision
- Be registered with an Isle of Man GP
- Have been a resident of the Isle of Man for 12 months
The length in which someone would need to be a resident in the Isle of Man before being able access the treatment the treatment has been one of the main points of contention, as lawmakers are cautious about people using the scheme in a similar manner to assisted dying clinics in Switzerland.
Final amendments to the bill put forward by the Legislative Council also included training for healthcare professionals to make sure it's the patients own decision and to ensure they are in the right state of mind.
The topic around assisted dying has been a controversial one, with groups such the Dignity in Dying arguing that such a bill would allow terminally ill people to die without suffering.
However, the other side of the argument is that the criteria has too much of a grey area to be considered lawful, such as the prognosis timeframe of 12 months, which can sometimes be inaccurate.
Last year, LADbible investigated the topic in documentary The Island Choosing Death, which spoke to one Isle of Man campaigner in favour of the bill as well as one man's experience with completing an assisted death application in Switzerland.
A similar vote on assisted dying, named the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, passed through British parliament in in November 2024 and will now go through further amendments before becoming law.
Brenna Cooper