Assisted dying: Isle of Man considering new bill - could it be made legal in the UK?

Assisted dying could soon become legal on the Isle of Man, as the island scrutinises a new bill.

The Assisted Dying Bill, as it stands, would apply only to terminally ill adults who have been “ordinarily resident” on the island for at least a year and who are reasonably expected to die within six months. It had already passed a second reading vote last week in what pro-change campaigners hailed as a “historic” moment which they said puts the Isle of Man on the path to becoming the first part of the British Isles to see assisted dying legalised.

A further vote took place on Tuesday, on whether the Bill should go before a small committee first, ahead of its 14 clauses being debated by the wider parliament. Members of the House of Keys (MHK) in the island’s Parliament voted for committee scrutiny of the Bill, said Dr Alex Allinson.

Dr Allinson, who brought the private member’s bill in his capacity as MHK for Ramsey, said he and four other MHKs will now look at the Bill and report back in February. After that, it is expected it would go to the clauses stage, when it would face line-by-line scrutiny by parliamentarians and be subject to potential amendments.

Following Tuesday’s vote, Dr Allinson said: “The House of Keys, whilst supportive of the Assisted Dying Bill, has decided to establish a committee of five Members to examine the clauses and report back in February. I look forward to working with the other members of this committee to refine the Bill and ensure it provides the basis for greater choice and compassion for those terminally ill on the Isle of Man.”

The practising GP has previously said he does not envisage legislation, should the Bill eventually receive royal assent, coming in “for at least two years”.

The debate ahead of last week’s vote heard from opposition voices who said it would bring about a “radical change” on the island, as well as calls from those in support for “robust safeguards” to be put in place. It was also suggested an increase should be made to the length of time someone must have been living on the island before being eligible under any new legislation.

Currently, assisted dying is illegal in the UK and can be treated as murder or manslaughter in court. It is different to assisted suicide in that it only applies to hospital patients who are terminally ill.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying said: "Assisted dying is a movement whose time has come for the Isle of Man, as last week’s vote has proven. The matter of how, when and where we die is rightly deserving of full, evidence-based debate and scrutiny, which the Assisted Dying Bill’s subsequent stages will now allow.

"These must now continue at pace, to avoid prolonging any further the suffering of dying people and their loved ones. The longer the current law remains in place, the more damage it will cause to Manx families."