Supporters of Dr Alex Allinson MHK’s Assisted Dying Bill and representatives from Dignity in Dying will gather outside Tynwald on Tuesday (June 25) for the next debate in the critical Clauses stage.
This follows the first Clauses debate last month when the first votes on the detail of the legislation saw large majorities backing key Clauses and constructive amendments to the Bill.
In the first session, MHKs voted by a large margin (15-9) for the eligibility of assisted dying to be for those who have been given a prognosis of 12 months left to live, while they voted 14-10 for the eligibility to be open to those have been residents of the Isle of Man for a minimum of five years.
Clauses stage
At the second session of the clauses stage, MHKs defeated attempts by opponents of law change to severely limit access for eligible patients and to remove the choice from healthcare entirely, voting them down 9-15.
During the third session of the clauses stage, held earlier this month, MHKs voted 19-4 in favour of limiting assisted dying to self-administration, removing the possibility of a doctor directly ending the life of their patient.
The Clauses stage follows MHKs voting by a significant majority (17-11) to progress the Bill at Second Reading last October.
The Assisted Dying Bill
The Assisted Dying Bill, put forward by Dr Alex Allinson, MHK for Ramsey and a GP, proposes that the option of assisted dying should be available as a choice for terminally ill, mentally competent residents, subject to strict safeguards.
Two in three (66%) people in the Isle of Man support the introduction of assisted dying as an option for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, with more than half (53%) indicating strong support, a survey released in October 2023 found.
After the Clauses stage the Bill is expected to receive a Third Reading in the House of Keys in the coming months.
If it passes this stage it will progress onto the Legislative Council for further debate and scrutiny. The Bill could then receive Royal Assent as soon as next year, followed by consideration of how the legislation will be implemented, with assisted dying potentially available to Manx residents from 2027.
7 Comments