Jersey assisted dying law granted Royal Assent

A law to allow terminally ill adults the right to choose to end their own lives in Jersey has been granted Royal Assent, meaning the island's government can bring it into force.

The government said this was a "critical step" in making sure the assisted dying service could begin on schedule later next year after the bill was approved by the States in February.

When it comes into law, which is expected in a few days' time, Jersey will be the first part of the British Isles where assisted dying is legalised.

The Minister for Health and Social Services Tom Binet said he was delighted Royal Assent had been granted: "Our focus now is on continuing our work to get the service set up and running."

The Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law 2026 will come into force when it is registered at Jersey's Royal Court, although it will not come into effect until next year.

The government said work had been ongoing to set up the service and recruitment for key roles had started.

He said: "There is still a lot of work to do, but I've every confidence that we can do it within the schedule we set ourselves.

"Assisted dying is a complex and emotive issue, and I'm grateful to everyone who's worked so hard to ensure we considered this so thoroughly and produced such comprehensive legislation."

Lorna Pirozzolo, who has incurable breast cancer and campaigned for the assisted dying law to be passed, said: "I am incredibly relieved that Royal Assent has been granted and assisted dying will become law in Jersey.

"I am personally so grateful to everyone who started this campaign and all those who joined it."

She added this mean no-one would have to experience "torturous symptoms in their final days, weeks, occasionally months, and the positive impact of that cannot be understated".

The campaigner added: "This proves that people can make a difference when they engage with politics."

Jersey's parliament voted in May 2024 in favour of drawing up laws for an assisted dying service.

In February, after three days of debate, the law was approved – with 32 States Assembly members voting in favour and 16 against.

Under the law, eligibility for an assisted death requires someone to have been resident in Jersey for at least 12 months, to have a voluntary, settled and informed wish to end their own life, and to be terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months, or 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative disease.

As a Crown Dependency, for primary legislation to get Royal Assent and therefore formally become law in Jersey, the Ministry of Justice and the Lord Chancellor – currently David Lammy – ensure the proposed laws do not conflict with fundamental rights or international rules and then recommending to the Privy Council that assent should be granted.

While the Isle of Man's Tynwald became the first parliament in the British Isles to agree a framework for assisted dying in March 2025, it has not yet been granted Royal Assent.

The Ministry of Justice as so far declined to grant royal assent on the basis that key safeguards including around coercion had not been written directly into the Isle of Man bill.

In June, Tynwald approved further amendments around protecting vulnerable people and establishing what Dr Alex Allinson – the Isle of Man politician behind the Bill – described as a "comprehensive system of independent post‑death review".

He said he would now be encouraging Tynwald members to sign the bill, "ensuring that it will survive the dissolution of this parliamentary session ahead of the island's general election in September".

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