Tanya Tupper, whose mother, Roberta, plans to travel to Switzerland to end her life after being diagnosed with terminal stage-four lung cancer, has labelled as ‘encouraging’ the decision by politicians in the British Overseas Territory to vote in favour of a motion that terminally ill residents should have the right to end their life in an assisted setting.
The Falkland Islands’ legislative assembly also passed a motion to consider altering its laws – which forbid assisted dying – should the UK do so first.
Assisted dying, the term used to describe helping someone to die who is terminally ill and wants to die, is currently outlawed throughout the British Isles.
It is different to euthanasia – where the physician administers the lethal dose – and assisted suicide, which describes helping someone to die who is not terminally ill.
‘It’s encouraging to see that this has happened in the Falkland Islands – that politicians are listening to the public,’ said Tanya, who this week relaunched her assisted-dying discussion Facebook group with the name End of Life Choices Jersey.
‘I’m pleased for the Falkland Islands that they have made this move, but in Jersey we want to see more – we want to change the legislation independently of the UK.’
Falkland Islands politician Dr Barry Elsby reportedly brought the motions to the British Overseas Territories’ legislative assembly after he had followed coverage of the assisted dying debate in Guernsey in the spring.
The issue was brought before States Members by Guernsey Chief Minister Gavin St Pier in May, but the proposition was defeated after three days of debate.
Tanya added: ‘We feel it needs to be not just one proposition in Jersey – and there needs to be a green paper and then a white paper first as part of a longer-term public debate in Jersey.’
St Saviour Deputy Kevin Pamplin said he would be looking into the possibility of formulating a green paper on the subject of assisted dying in Jersey, to encourage further public debate on the subject.
Deputy Pamplin, who is a member of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, said: ‘A green paper is probably the direction in which we are heading, although I’m going to look at all the options [to provoke robust discussion on the subject] – and Scrutiny may be an option.’
He added: ‘We mustn’t rush into it – let’s do it properly.’
