In 2018 an e-petition was launched calling for the States Assembly to amend Jersey law and allow for assisted dying. This was followed in 2019 by an online public survey, a GP and doctors' survey and a public meeting, which indicated that there are people in our community who support assisted dying. The Minister for Health and Social Services committed to establishing a Citizens' Jury to consider whether assisted dying should be permitted in Jersey.

The Citizens’ Jury on Assisted Dying opening session will take place on Thursday 18 March, with 23 Islanders having been selected as Jury members. Jury members will meet online ten times between 18 March and 15 May. They will hear from a broad range of speakers who will present information and evidence, allowing the Jury to consider and debate the legal, ethical and medical issues associated with assisted dying.

Professor Suzanne Ost is one of two expert advisors (with Dr Alexandra Mullock (University of Manchester)), who will support Jury members to clarify and examine the information presented to them.

The Citizens’ Jury will be asked to decide whether or not assisted dying should be permitted in Jersey. The Jury will make initial recommendations in June. It will then produce a final report which will be presented to the States Assembly in the autumn. If the Jury think that assisted dying should be permitted they will be asked to recommend under which circumstances this should happen, and if they think it should not they will be asked to explain their reasons. It is likely that the States Assembly will then debate these conclusions before the end of 2021. The States Assembly are the decision makers with the authority to decide what, if any, changes are made to legislation in relation to assisted dying in Jersey.

Find out more about the Jersey Assisted Dying Citizens' Jury.