The Isle of Man has approved a bill that grants terminally ill adults the right to choose to end their own lives. This legislation allows residents with less than 12 months to live the option to seek assistance in ending their lives, potentially positioning the island as the first in the British Isles to provide terminally ill individuals with this legal right.
While the British parliament is currently reviewing a similar bill concerning assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, this legislation in the Isle of Man has already passed and will be submitted to the UK Ministry of Justice for Royal Assent. This formal approval by King Charles, as head of state, is necessary for the bill to become law.
The new bill stipulates that individuals wishing to end their lives must be terminally ill adults expected to die within 12 months. They must be over 18, registered with a family doctor in the Isle of Man, and have resided on the island for a minimum of five years. Additionally, they must possess the legal capacity to make this decision, which requires verification by two independent doctors.
The bill faced opposition from some residents of the island, which has a population of approximately 84,000. A 2023 survey by the Isle of Man Medical Society, involving 108 medical professionals, indicated that 74% were against the bill, and 34% expressed they might consider leaving the island if it became law.