Where is Guernsey on assisted dying?

Proposals to legalise assisted dying in Guernsey will be put forward before the end of this political term in June 2029.

Former Chief Minister Gavin St Pier failed in his attempt to get it legalised in 2018 and it is currently the only Crown dependency without an approved assisted dying law.

He welcomed the move by Jersey to approve legalising it on Thursday, which follows a similar move in the Isle of Man, and said he would bring a requête this term, although he was not sure about the exact timescale.

Deputy St Pier said it was likely his proposals would use Jersey's template.

"I look on developments in the Isle of Man and Jersey with a little bit of envy, having attempted to do it in 2018 here," he said.

"Those of us who were campaigning can take some satisfaction that we were leading the debate which probably did help catalyse the forces in Jersey and the Isle of Man as well.

"It has been a bit of a domino effect."

In 2018, as part of the debate on assisted dying in Guernsey, politicians did agree to a review of palliative and end-of-life care due to an anticipated "substantial increase" in healthcare needs for the island's ageing population.

In 2023, after an inquiry from the BBC, the Committee for Health & Social Care said: "While there was no additional funding attached to the amendment, the palliative care team has increased our provision and therefore the support we can offer patients and their families.

"We recruited an additional full-time palliative care nurse as a result of the funding to support NICE TAs.

"We have also recruited an associate specialist, which was a big development will make a huge difference to palliative care development on the island."

St Pier said a requête, which will force a debate if signed by seven States members, was the right way to bring this kind of policy to the States - despite it not being included in the government work plan.

"We should be able to both walk and chew gum at the same time," he said.

"In the context of a personal moral issue a requête is a more appropriate way to move assisted dying forward rather than it being a lead from within committees."

St Pier said: "It is an inevitable development; it is only a question of time when Guernsey will follow suit."

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