Isle of Man faces advancing threat of state-sponsored suicide

Manx politicians have forged ahead with plans to legalise assisted suicide on the island.

On Tuesday, members of the House of Keys – the directly elected branch of the Tynwald – backed MHK Alex Allinson’s Assisted Dying Bill by 16 votes to 8.

An amendment to delay the debate until November failed by 14 votes to 9, and a last-ditch attempt proposing a referendum on the issue was narrowly defeated by a single vote.

‘Wrecking ball’

Under the proposals, people resident on the Isle of Man for five years and who are not expected to live beyond twelve months will be eligible to take prescribed drugs to kill themselves.

MHK Tim Glover, who voted against the Bill, branded it unpopular, “unworkable” and “a wrecking ball of legislation”.

Responding to the decision, Dr Graham McCall of anti-assisted suicide group Manx Duty of Care said: “Very, very few doctors on the Isle of Man are in favour of this, we’re really worried that this will become known as death island, we’ll become known as death doctors”.

The Bill is expected to be scrutinised by Tynwald’s upper chamber, the Legislative Council, after the summer recess, where it could be passed, amended or rejected.

Foreboding

Earlier this year, Canadian campaigner Alex Schadenberg warned the Manx people against giving assisted suicide a foothold.

Speaking at an event in Douglas, the Executive Director of Euthanasia Prevention Coalition shared how so-called safeguards to Canada’s law are unravelling.

Mr Schadenberg told Manx Radio that under Canada’s assisted suicide law, a person originally had to be terminally ill to access assisted suicide, but it was soon “declared to be a form of discrimination”.

Deaths by euthanasia and assisted suicide now account for 1 in every 25 deaths in Canada.