Isle of Man Assisted Dying Bill granted Royal Assent

The Isle of Man's Assisted Dying Bill has been granted Royal Assent.

The law will allow adults who have lived on the island for at least five years, who have a terminal illness with a life expectancy of 12 months or less, to request an assisted death.

In a statement, campaign group Dignity in Dying said: "The milestone is a tribute to the Manx families who campaigned for years for a change in the law."

But opponents to the bill have said they are "deeply disappointed" at the news.

The island became the first place in the British Isles to pass laws on assisted dying in March 2025, but they needed amendments before Royal Assent could be given.

A similar bill in Jersey was given Royal Assent in July this year.

The chief executive of Dignity in Dying, Sarah Wootten, said: "Today is a historic and deeply emotional day for the Isle of Man, and above all for the families who made it happen."

Dignity in Dying said every request would be subject to "strict eligibility assessments, medical oversight and independent post-death review".

Wootten added: "Dying Manx people now have the reassurance that, if their suffering becomes unbearable, they will not be abandoned to pain, fear or desperate alternatives."

The bill's author, Alex Allinson, a former Ramsey MHK, said: "This is the culmination of decades of campaigning by island residents and their politicians to ensure greater choice, compassion and dignity for those facing a terminal illness."

And Clare Barber, a former environment minister, who supported the bill, added: "Having worked as a nurse, the concept of a good death is one that is exceptionally important to me.

"This does not negate the need for palliative care, it compliments it."

But campaigners against the laws have also spoken up.

In a statement Manx Duty of Care said it was "deeply disappointed" with the announcement, calling for "new members of Tynwald to table a bill to repeal it at once".

The object to the legislation, saying it "clearly breaches the European Convention on Human Rights, the Isle of Man NHS Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities".

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