After invitations were sent to a random selection of 4,600 households – asking anyone aged 16 or above to register their interest in participating – 477 people applied to join the panel before last month’s deadline.
The Sortition Foundation, an organisation that helps with the selection processes, has been appointed to randomly select up to 24 people to form the jury. Those selected for the group are intended to be broadly representative of the Island’s population.
The first sessions are due to take place online on Thursday 18 March, and the aim is that the panel will submit its recommendations to the States Assembly before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese parliament has recently voted in favour of a bill authorising assisted dying. This is now due to be presented to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for approval. He can also choose to veto the legislation or to pass it to the country’s constitutional court for examination.
If the bill is signed into law, Portugal would become the fourth country in Europe to legalise euthanasia, which is currently allowed in Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.
