States Meeting Summary 20 January
20 January 2026
Appointments
The States Assembly meeting began with the Bailiff confirming that Matthew Jowitt KC has been appointed as the new Attorney General of Jersey. He will assume office on Monday 2 March 2026.
The Assembly then appointed Members to the Bailiff’s Consultative Panel, which holds confidential discussions on matters such as Liberation Day celebrations. The Assembly voted to appoint Deputy Inna Gardiner; Deputy Raluca Kovacs; Deputy Malcolm Ferey; Deputy Moz Scott; and Deputy Carolyn Labey to the Panel.
Question Time
Questions with notice
The meeting then moved to Question Time, with Ministers answering States Members’ questions with notice.
Skip to page 9 of the Order Paper to find out which questions were asked and watch from 13 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear questions with notice in full.
Questions without notice
States Members then asked the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet; the Minister for Housing, Deputy Sam Mézec, and the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham questions without notice for 15 minutes each.
Skip 1 hour and 46 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear questions without notice in full.
Public Business
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet, proposed new legal obligations to ensure Jersey residents have access to good quality end-of-life care. Under the proposals, the Minister would be required to:
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Identify individuals approaching the end of life and assess their needs
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Ensure necessary care is provided at home or in a care facility
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Specify the type and standard of care, and who should receive it including family, friends and health professionals
These obligations would apply to any person, adult or child, likely to die within one year.
Read more: bit.ly/45u5aMd
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister’s proposition in two parts:
Part A: to agree that the Minister for Health and Social Services should be required by law to provide for end-of-life services in Jersey
44 votes for, 2 votes against and 0 abstentions.
Part B: to request the Minister for Health and Social Services to lodge the legislation necessary to give effect to that decision, for consideration by the Assembly before the draft Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law 202- comes into full force.
43 votes for, 3 votes against and 0 abstentions.
Skip 2 hours and 35 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the start of the debate, which resumed from the start of this afternoon’s meeting.
P.65 Draft Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law 202-
The Council of Ministers proposed introducing the Assisted Dying (Jersey) Law which would allow a person who has a terminal illness and who is experiencing, or expected to experience, unbearable suffering to choose to end their life with the help of a medical professional. They must:
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Be aged 18 or over and have been resident in Jersey for at least 12 months.
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Have been assessed by medical professionals and diagnosed with a physical condition that is expected to cause their death within 6 months, or 12 months if the condition involves degeneration of the nervous system.
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Have the capacity to make the decision, which must be voluntary, clearly expressed, settled, and informed.
Read more: bit.ly/4g60eBa
Deputy Bailhache proposed that this debate be postponed until February 24, to give time for Scrutiny to issue their full report before debating the principles.
The States Assembly voted to REJECT the Deputy’s proposition to postpone with 14 votes for, 31 votes against and 1 abstention.
The States then went on to start debating the principles.
Skip to 24 minutes into the recording of this afternoon’s meeting to see the debate into Deputy Bailhache's proposition in full. 55 minutes in for the start of the main debate. The debate resumes on Wednesday 21 January.
Adjournment
The States Assembly will reconvene at 9:30am tomorrow, Wednesday 21 January, to resume the assisted dying debate.
