JERSEY is on track to become the first place in the British Isles with an assisted-dying service after the law received formal approval from the Crown.
The Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law 2026 has been granted Royal Assent, marking the final constitutional stage before the legislation takes legal effect.
The law will come into force once it is registered by Jersey’s Royal Court in the coming days.
The milestone keeps the Island on track to introduce an assisted dying service in late 2027, following an 18-month implementation period during which the necessary safeguards, governance and clinical systems will be put in place.
Recruitment has already begun for key roles within the new service.
Health Minister Tom Binet said: “I’m delighted the assisted dying law has been granted Royal Assent. Our focus now is on continuing our work to get the service set up and running.
“There is still a lot of work to do, but I’ve every confidence that we can do it within the schedule we set ourselves.”
He added: “Assisted dying is a complex and emotive issue, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s worked so hard to ensure we considered this so thoroughly and produced such comprehensive legislation.”
The States Assembly adopted the legislation in February. The law will allow eligible adults with a terminal illness to seek medical assistance to end their lives, subject to strict eligibility criteria and a series of legal safeguards.
To qualify, a person must be at least 18, have decision-making capacity, have been ordinarily resident in Jersey for at least 12 months, and have a voluntary, settled and informed wish to end their life.
They must also have a terminal physical illness expected to cause death within six months – or within 12 months in the case of a neurodegenerative condition such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease – and be experiencing, or expected to experience, suffering they consider unbearable.
