On Sunday, a group including politicians, campaigners from Guernsey and a former doctor met to discuss the topic with the aim of raising awareness of the conversation about assisted dying in Jersey.
It follows a recent debate on the matter by Guernsey’s States, which eventually rejected a proposal for a working party to be set up to look into the issues surrounding the legalisation of assisted dying in the island.
Despite that decision, however, Fran Hall, campaigns and outreach officer for UK charity Dignity in Dying, said she was confident that the law would eventually be changed to allow Islanders to choose assisted dying. However, she said the issue needed to be approached in a considered and methodical way.
Speaking at Sunday’s event, she said: ‘I am cautiously optimistic about it as so many jurisdictions are now changing the law, so it is definitely a question of when rather than if,’ she said.
‘Having said that, I would say it is very important not to rush. We really need to make sure that we have spoken to the community and educated everyone about it.
‘We also need to speak about how it works in other jurisdictions and try to stop some of those rumours and scaremongering comments that can fly around.’
Ms Hall added that Islanders who had so far remained silent on the issue but were supportive of the idea needed to speak up and make their opinions known.
Asked what the main challenges the plans faced were, she said: ‘I think the situation is the same as the UK – it is a fear of change to the status quo.
‘A lot of people are personally supportive of assisted dying but they need to be brave and stick their heads above the parapets and say so. That is one of the real challenges.’
Since 2006 the British Medical Association – a professional association and registered trade union for medical professionals – has been openly opposed to assisted dying.
As a result, despite a number of medical professionals being invited to Sunday’s discussion, only one retired doctor attended.
However, Ms Hall added that a movement of doctors who were openly supportive of assisted dying was growing, and she was optimistic the association’s stance would change in the future.
