Isle of Man: Assisted Dying Bill passes key vote
Publisher: In-Sight Publishing
Publisher Founding: September 1, 2014
Publisher Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Publication: Freethought Newswire
Original Link: https://humanists.uk/2024/07/23/isle-of-man-assisted-dying-bill-passes-key-vote/
Publication Date: July 23, 2024
Organization: Humanists UK
Organization Description: Humanists UK is the operating name of the British Humanist Association. We are a charitable company (no. 228781), formed in 1896 and incorporated in 1928, and registered in England and Wales. Our governing document is our Articles of Association, which can be viewed here.
In a significant step towards legalising assisted dying, Dr Alex Allinson MHK’s Assisted Dying Bill has successfully passed the third reading in the House of Keys, the lower house of Tynwald, the Isle of Man’s Parliament.
Members of the House of Keys voted 16 in favour, 8 against. The law will now move to the Parliament’s upper chamber, the Legislative Council. Humanists UK welcomes this progressive move, while also expressing disappointment over the exclusion of those suffering from incurable non-terminal conditions from the Bill.
If passed, it could receive Royal Assent in 2025, with the law potentially coming into effect by 2027.
During the clause stage, opponents of the Bill attempted various delaying tactics, including an unsuccessful motion to postpone the debate until November, which was defeated by 14 votes to 9. Additionally, a last-minute amendment proposing a referendum on assisted dying was narrowly rejected by 12 votes to 11. Members of the House of Keys (MHKs) noted that this suggestion of a referendum was insincere, as it could have been proposed earlier in the legislative process. An MHK also attempted to restrict the Bill to people who only have three months left to live or less. And wider efforts to significantly restrict access to assisted dying and to exclude healthcare providers from the decision-making process were defeated.
The Bill, initially published in May, has undergone several amendments during the parliamentary process. Key changes include:
- Extending the eligibility for patients from those with six months left to live to those with a prognosis of twelve months.
- Increasing the residency requirement from one year to five years.
- Mandating that patients must self-administer the medication; Doctors are not permitted to perform the procedure.
Humanists UK believe that any adult of sound mind who is intolerably suffering from an incurable, physical condition and has a clear and settled wish to die should have the option of an assisted death. Being able to die, with dignity, in a manner of our choosing should be understood as a fundamental human right
Nathan Stilwell, Assisted Dying Campaigner for Humanists UK, said:
‘It’s clear that opponents to assisted dying have lost the debate. Tactics have now descended into delaying, confusing and attempting to restrict access to assisted dying. The progress of this Bill is a crucial step towards more compassionate and dignified end-of-life options for Manx people.
‘Assisted dying should be a fundamental right for everyone. If you don’t want an assisted death don’t have one, but don’t try to restrict the rights of others. People who are suffering deserve the right to make decisions about their future.’
License
In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on work at www.in-sightpublishing.com.
Copyright
© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen, or the author(s), and In-Sight Publishing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors copyright their material, as well, and may disseminate for their independent purposes.
In-Sight Publishing 