Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool said he was “very saddened” at the granting of Royal Assent to the Isle of Man’s assisted suicide Bill on October 16. The Assisted Dying Bill would permit adults with a terminal illness and who have lived on the island for at least five years to request assisted suicide, provided they have a life expectancy of 12 months or fewer.
Archbishop Sherrington said the passing of the Bill marked a “watershed” on the island, where “the choice to end one’s life will now be permitted in certain circumstances”. In March 2025, the Isle of Man became the first place in the British Isles to pass legislation legalising assisted suicide, although a similar law in Jersey, the Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law 2026, received Royal Assent in July.
