Disappointing the non-terminal route was rejected, but a step in the right direction nonetheless.
Starmer has made previous pledges to bring forward a vote in the UK parliament, with an election now confirmed hopefully we can make similar progress.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Jersey politicians have voted to approve plans to allow assisted dying for those with a terminal illness “causing unbearable suffering”.The States Assembly has been debating two routes through which people who have lived in Jersey for longer than a year, are 18 or over and have decision-making capacity could apply for assisted dying.A total of 32 members voted in favour while 14 voted against route one.The second route, for those who are not terminally ill but who have an incurable medical condition causing unbearable suffering, was rejected by a majority of 27 to 19.
Plans for legalising assisted dying were voted on in principle by the assembly in 2021, but the aim of the vote was to decide how it could work in practice.With a decision now made, the process for drafting a law could take about 18 months, with a debate then taking place by the end of 2025.If a law is approved, it is expected a further 18-month implementation period would then begin, meaning the earliest for it to come into effect would be summer 2027.
Jennifer Bridge, a former States member and leader of Jersey Assisted Dying Action Group, said it was a “historic date” for the island.
Speaking in the assembly, Health Minister Tom Binet said the vote was a “very important decision for our island”.Deputy Binet described the assisted dying proposals as the “most comprehensive in the British Isles to date” and emphasised they had “excellent safeguards”.However, Deputy Barbara Ward, who worked as a nurse for 45 years, was against the proposals and said it should be called “an assisted suicide bill”.Deputy Sir Philip Bailhache shared concern for the impact the plans could have on disabled people.He said if assisted dying was approved, Jersey risked becoming a society that told disabled people their lives are not as valued as those of able-bodied people.
"Patrick Lynch, chief executive of Caritas Jersey, which promotes Catholic social teaching, said it would be better for the States to “spend public money addressing poverty and issues in other areas of healthcare rather than assisted dying”.
Most members voted in favour of an opt-out for health professionals, giving them a right to refuse to participate in assisted dying.
The original article contains 574 words, the summary contains 367 words. Saved 36%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
