Landslide victory for compassion as Isle of Man’s Parliament votes 2:1 for assisted dying bill
The Isle of Man’s Assisted Dying Bill has passed its Third Reading in a landslide victory for compassion today (Tuesday 23rd July). The Bill has now progressed further than any other assisted dying bill ever introduced in the British Isles, after Members of the House of Keys (MHKs) voted 16:8 to progress the Bill to the Legislative Council, the island’s upper house. Once implemented, this robust, evidence-based law will provide compassionate choice to dying people in the Isle of Man who urgently need it and introduce stronger protections for everyone.
The Legislative Council cannot vote the Bill down, only amend and delay it by up to 12 months. It should then receive Royal Assent as soon as next year, followed by consideration of how the legislation will be implemented, with assisted dying potentially available to terminally ill Manx residents from 2027.
The Bill, introduced by Dr Allinson, MHK for Ramsey and a GP, proposes that lawful assisted dying should be available as a choice for terminally ill, mentally competent residents, subject to strict safeguards and alongside high-quality end-of-life care. Two in three (66%) people in the Isle of Man support the introduction of assisted dying as an option for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, with more than half (53%) indicating strong support, a survey released in October 2023 found.
Today’s vote follows two months of debate in which MHKs voted on the details of and amendments to the Bill. MHKs voted to limit the eligibility of assisted dying to those who have been given a prognosis of 12 months or less left to live and those who have been a resident of the Isle of Man for a minimum of five years. Attempts to severely limit access for eligible patients and to remove the choice from healthcare entirely were defeated. MHKs voted in favour of limiting assisted dying to self-administration, removing the possibility of a doctor directly ending the life of their patient, bringing proposals in line with other laws being put forward in Scotland. An amendment to postpone the debate until after the Summer recess in November and further amendments to postpone the debates on other clauses were defeated, and MHKs also rejected a proposal of a referendum to be held, which would have prolonged any legislation coming into effect. The Bill introduces safeguards at every stage of the assisted dying process, starting with the limited eligibility criteria and continues to add protections before, during and after a person has been assisted to die.
Dr Alex Allinson MHK said:
“We have taken another step forward for real change in the Isle of Man to give terminally ill people much-needed choice and protection at the end of life. This is the result of many years of campaigning from local people and I send them my heartfelt thanks today. My colleagues in the House of Keys have examined the evidence, listened to the views of the people of the Isle of Man and recognised that these laws work safely and compassionately in other jurisdictions across the world. I look forward to continuing to work with Members of the Legislative Council to improve the range of choices for people dying in the Isle of Man.”
Millie Blenkinsop-French, 80, who lives in Douglas, has long campaigned for law change on assisted dying. Millie’s son suffered a painful death from squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, which grew on his neck, in 2021. She has also had breast cancer herself. Millie said:
“I am absolutely delighted by this result. Manx citizens have long been calling for law change, and I want to thank MHKs for listening to our wishes. My son died an agonising death from skin cancer and he would have wanted the choice of assisted dying to end his suffering. If my cancer ever returns I would like the choice too, to avoid the pain that he endured. It brings me a lot of comfort to know that this option could soon be available to people like my son.”
Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said:
“This is a historic victory for compassion and common sense. MHKs should be congratulated for listening to the views of Manx citizens who have long been calling for change. We are here today thanks to the hard work of Dr Allinson and colleagues, plus the tireless campaigning of people like Sue Biggerstaff and Millie Blenkinsop-French. They have shared their own painful experiences of the current law, so that no more dying people should have to suffer as their loved ones did.
“Today we are one step closer to providing choice for dying people who urgently need it, while introducing greater protection for all at the end of life across the British Isles, following in the footsteps of places like Australia and New Zealand. We have the advantage of learning from assisted dying laws overseas to advance a safe, workable UK-model for law change based on evidence and grounded in compassion. With Bills also progressing in Scotland and Jersey and now a Private Member’s Bill in the House of Lords, assisted dying is a movement whose time has come.”
*ENDS*
For more information or interview requests, please email Tom Steen, Media and Campaigns Support Officer at Dignity in Dying, tom.steen@dignityindying.org.uk or call 07725 433 025.