News

States Meeting summary: 21-22 May

Question Time 

Questions with notice 

This week’s States Meeting began with Ministers answering States Members’ questions with notice.  

Skip to page 6 of the Order Paper to find out which questions were asked and watch from 10 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear questions with notice in full.  

Questions without notice 

States Members then asked the Minister for; Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, the Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst, and the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, questions without notice for 15 minutes each. 
Skip to 1 hour and 49 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the questions without notice.  

Public Business 

P.21 Common Strategic Policy 2024-2026 

The Council of Ministers asked the States Assembly to approve its Common Strategic Policy, as amended, which sets out the 12 priorities it will tackle during the remaining two years in office.   

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister’s proposition as amended, with 42 votes for, 2 votes against, and 1 abstention. 

Watch from 2 hours and 37 minutes of this morning’s recording to watch the start of the debate.  

Watch from the beginning of this afternoon’s debate to watch the rest of the debate and the vote.  

P.15. Channel Islands Lottery Distribution of Proceeds 2024 

The Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, proposed to allocate £1,097,800 from the Channel Islands Lottery to the Jersey Community Foundation and the Association of Jersey Charities, divided equally, for onward distribution in support of the Island community.  

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel’s proposition unanimously, with 39 votes for. 

Skip to 1 hour 2 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate and vote in full. 

P.18 Assisted Dying 

The Council of Ministers proposed that the Minister for Health and Social Services brings forward legislation that permits assisted dying in Jersey, and requires the Minister to establish an assisted dying service, as amended by the Assisted Dying Review Panel. 

Skip to 1 hour 15 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the beginning of the debate. 

Adjournment  

The States Meeting then adjourned and will recommence tomorrow, at 9:30am on Wednesday 22 May. 

Public Business 

P.18 Assisted Dying 

Today’s States Meeting began with the continuation of the debate on assisted dying. 

The Council of Ministers proposed that the Minister for Health and Social Services brings forward legislation that permits assisted dying in Jersey, and requires the Minister to establish an assisted dying service, as amended by the Assisted Dying Review Panel. 

Go to the start of this morning’s debate to watch the continuation of the debate. 

The debate continued into the afternoon session.  

The Minister for Health and Social Services asked the States Assembly to decide on the elements of the assisted dying proposition, as amended, in five separate votes. 

Go to 2 hours and 29 minutes into the afternoon session to hear the Minister’s summing up followed by the vote. 

Paragraph a.  

To request the Minister for Health and Social Services to bring forward primary legislation that permits assisted dying in Jersey and that requires the Minister to establish an assisted dying service in accordance with the essential provisions and safeguards outlined and to agree that assisted dying will only be lawful where a person meets all of the eligibility criteria. 

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Council of Ministers’ proposition on assisted dying (as amended) in relation to paragraph a, with 31 votes for, 15 votes against, and 0 abstentions.  

Paragraph b. 

Route 1 – terminal illness. To agree that, in addition to meeting all the eligibility criteria detailed in paragraph a, the person must have been diagnosed with a terminal physical medical condition which is giving rise to, or is expected to give rise to, unbearable suffering that cannot be alleviated in a manner the person deems to be tolerable and that terminal condition must be reasonably expected to cause the person’s death within the timeframe specified. 

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Council of Ministers’ proposition on assisted dying (as amended) in relation to paragraph b, terminal illness, with 32 votes for, 14 votes against, and 0 abstentions.  

Paragraph c.  

Route 2 – Unbearable suffering. In addition to meeting all the eligibility criteria detailed in paragraph a, and if the person does not meet the eligibility criteria in paragraph b (terminal illness), the person must have an incurable physical medical condition that is giving rise to unbearable suffering that cannot be alleviated in a manner the person deems to be tolerable. 

The States Assembly voted to REJECT the Council of Ministers’ proposition on assisted dying (as amended) in relation to paragraph c, unbearable suffering with 19 votes for, 27 votes against, and 0 abstentions. 

Paragraph d.  

To agree that no person should be under a legal duty to participate in the provision of assisted dying and any such person will have a right to refuse participation. 

The States Assembly has voted to APPROVE the Council of Ministers’ proposition on assisted dying (as amended) in relation to paragraph d, with 45 votes for, 1 votes against, and 0 abstentions.  

Paragraph e.  

To agree that there will be a minimum timeframe between the point at which a person makes a first formal request for an assisted death and the administration of the substance that leads to that death. 

The States Assembly has voted to APPROVE the Council of Ministers’ proposition on assisted dying (as amended) in relation to paragraph e, with 44 votes for, 1 vote against, and 1 abstention.  

Legislation will now be drafted in relation to Route 1 - Terminal Illness which has been APPROVED and this will come back before the States Assembly before the Assisted Dying service will come into force.  

P.23 Re-appointment of Jersey Consumer Council Chair 
The Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, proposed that the States re-appoint Carl Walker as Chairman of the Jersey Consumer Council for a further term of three years. 

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel’s proposition, with 45 votes for, 0 votes against, and 1 abstention. 

Go to 2 hours and 45 minutes into the afternoon session to hear the debate. 

Adjournment  

The States Meeting then adjourned and will recommence at 9.30am on 11 June.