Tanya Tupper, whose mother Roberta was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer just over three years ago and told she had just six months to live, published the petition on the States website.
Under the newly introduced system, if a petition reaches the 1,000-signature mark ‘ministers will respond’ and if a petition surpasses 5,000 signatures it will be considered for debate in the States Assembly.
Tanya said: ‘Our petition asks people to support a move for assisted dying – for those with capacity to make their own end-of-life choices with medical assistance.
‘We hope this petition will get over 5,000 signatures and lead to a debate in the States.
‘One shouldn’t have to resort to drastic measures to end their own life – they should be assisted to die in a more comfortable way that they can choose for themselves in their home country.
‘How many more tragic deaths and periods of extended suffering need to be endured and witnessed before something is done to change this injustice?’
Throughout the British Isles, assisted dying – a term that covers both assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia – is illegal. Assisted suicide means to end your own life with the help of someone else, such as a doctor handing you the drugs. Voluntary euthanasia requires someone else to end your life, with your consent, such as a doctor administering the drugs.
Tanya has also launched a new Facebook and campaign group, called End of Life Choices Jersey, to encourage debate on assisted dying and advance decisions.
She explained: ‘End of Life Choices Jersey has been set up in response to many Islanders’ wishes to determine how and when they end their own life without incriminating those assisting them in any way.
‘We we want to open up the debate as to which criteria would be right for Jersey, rather than try to decide that at the beginning without consultation.’
Tanya said the new group was not aligning itself solely with Dignity in Dying UK, which believes in legalising assisted dying specifically for people with six months or less to live.
‘In response to comments on Facebook, it has been noted that many local people believe an assisted death should not be restricted to those with six months to live, but we should also support those suffering unbearable pain or an unbearably poor quality of life,’ she added.
St Saviour Deputy Kevin Pamplin, who is a member of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, said recently he would look into the possibility of formulating a green paper on the subject of assisted dying in Jersey or raising the subject at Scrutiny. A green paper is a preliminary report of government proposals that is published in order to encourage discussion.
Tanya added: ‘We think the people of Jersey should be given the best opportunity to make an informed decision on these topics. Our efforts as a group and a green paper would serve to do that.’
*For more information email endoflifechoicesjersey@gmail.com.
