JERSEY’S assisted-dying debate could be pushed back until late February next year after a Scrutiny panel requested more time to complete its review of the proposed legislation.
In a letter to Health Minister Tom Binet, Assisted Dying Review Panel chair Deputy Louise Doublet asked that the debate be deferred to the States sitting beginning on 24 February 2026.
“Given the complexity of the legislation, the breadth of the topic, and the weight of the ethical issues to consider, the panel requires additional time to complete its scrutiny and ensure the legislation is as robust and well-considered as possible,” she wrote.
It had initially been anticipated that the debate would be held in November, but it was pushed back to 20 January 2026 to allow further time for proper scrutiny of the law.
Deputy Doublet has now confirmed that her panel had identified “several potential amendments” during its review. She said further time was needed to discuss some of these proposals with professionals to avoid “unintended consequences”.
The letter also acknowledged that the Health Minister is working on some “minor amendments” himself, following points raised during the scrutiny process.
Deputy Binet is due to respond to the letter by 22 December.
Earlier this year, the Council of Ministers lodged a proposition which sets out the framework for terminally ill adults living in Jersey to end their lives, who could be eligible, how the process would work and what checks would apply.
If it is adopted, Jersey would become just the second place in the British Isles to introduce such a law, after proposals to give terminally ill adults in the Isle of Man were agreed by the Manx parliament in March.
If approved, the draft law will require an 18-month implementation period, meaning the earliest the law could come into force in Jersey is mid-2027.
