Letter - Assisted Dying Review Panel to Minister for Health and Social Services re review launch - 25 March 2024

States Greffe

Deputy Tom Binet , Minister for Health and Social Services

Copied to:

Deputy Lyndon Farnham , Chief Minister

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat , Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Deputy Steve Luce , Minister for the Environment

BY EMAIL

25th March 2024

Dear Ministers,

Assisted Dying Review Panel

I write to inform you that a Review Panel has been established to undertake a review of the final proposals for Assisted Dying in Jersey.

The Panel will explore key issues related to the final Proposals for Assisted Dying in Jersey. These will include the processes, safeguards, eligibility criteria, and the previous body of evidence received to date from experts and stakeholders. The Panel’s full Terms of Reference are attached for your information.

We intend to begin our work immediately, and a Public Hearing has been scheduled to take place on 3rd April 2024. Elements of this review fall under your Ministerial remit and, some evidence will also be gathered from the Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs and the Environment (copied in).

Due to the timescales for undertaking its review, the Panel would be grateful if you could provide responses to the following questions by 28th March 2024:

1. The Panel understands that you intend to provide three, two-hour States Member briefings, and scheduled weekly ‘drop in’ sessions for States Members to discuss the detail of the final proposals and ask questions on a one-to-one basis. Please can you confirm the timeframe, during the lodging period, for undertaking the States Members briefings and 1-2-1 ‘drop in’ sessions?

1. The Panel wishes to highlight the importance of communication between Government, Scrutiny and States Members during this lodging period. Please can you clarify how you intend to communicate the support available to States Members?
2. Please can the Panel be provided with the themes and any areas of concern emerging from the 1-2-1 ‘drop in’ sessions with States Members?

2. Please can you confirm how the Council of Ministers intend to make the Proposition on assisted dying to the States Assembly, and whether States Members will be asked to vote on each paragraph of the Proposition separately, or whether it is intended that all aspects of the Proposition will be voted on together?
3. The Panel understands that Government will be undertaking a process of consultation with disabled Islanders in relation to ‘Route 2: Unbearable suffering’. Please can the Panel be provided with the issues to be discussed with disabled Islanders in advance of the consultation?

1. Please can you confirm the intended output to be produced following the consultation process?
2. Please can you confirm the timeframe for the consultation process and that the Panel can be provided with the outcome of the consultation in advance of its publication?

Furthermore, due to the sensitivity and significance of this subject, the Panel wishes to highlight in advance that it will request a formal Ministerial Response to its review, once the review process has been concluded and a Scrutiny Report is produced and prior to the States Assembly debate on the Proposals.

We hope that the evidence we gather, and our final Report will be beneficial and will help inform the work of your department in this area.

Yours sincerely,

Deputy Louise Doublet

Chair

Assisted Dying Review Panel

Assisted Dying Review Panel Terms of Reference

1. To examine the final proposals for assisted dying, with particular consideration of the following:

1. Whether (and if so why) any changes have been made to the original proposals outlined in P.95/2021.
2. The proposed processes and safeguards for all individuals involved in assisted dying, and whether these uphold patients’ dignity and wishes.

2. To examine the previous body of evidence received to date from experts and stakeholders.