The following article Conscientious objection and assisted dying in the Crown Dependencies was first posted on Peter Edge’s Law Blog, which is reproduced with permission [*].

Conscientious objection and assisted dying in the Crown Dependencies

December 31, 2025

The Manx Assisted Dying Bill, which has completed its parliamentary journey and is awaiting Royal Assent, is set to make the Isle of Man the first member of the British-Irish Council and the Common Travel Area to establish a legal regime for assisted dying, although it is likely to be some time before the Act is brought into force. This is an area where the Crown Dependencies have led the way. In this blog I will compare one feature of the proposed legislation for the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey:  how to treat those who conscientiously object to being involved with such a regime.

Of the three, the Isle of Man is most advanced. Jersey, although actively engaged in developing a legal framework since 2021, is on course to have a draft assisted dying bill debated in 2026. Guernsey has, for the moment, turned away from developing such a regime, with a proposal having failed in the States in 2018. Nonetheless, all three have something to offer comparative discussion of the development of conscientious objection to participation in assisted dying. In the discussion that follows I focus on six key questions, the answers to which define the reach of conscientious objection in the different regimes.

Should there be a conscientious objector clause? Continue reading →