Isle of Man Assisted Dying Law Faces Delay Amid UK Government Review

**TL;DR** The Isle of Man was indeed the first parliament in the British Isles to pass assisted dying legislation, but the bill was approved in March 2024, not March 2025. The Lord Chancellor does not have to recommend Crown Dependency laws for royal assent; that power rests with the UK government. A Press Association FOI request verified that the Ministry of Justice contacted the Isle of Man government twelve times between March and early December 2024 regarding the bill.

**Claim 1** – The Isle of Man's Tynwald passed assisted dying legislation in March 2025, making it the first parliament in the British Isles to do so. **Evidence** – The Tynwald became the first parliament in the British Isles to pass assisted dying legislation, and it approved the bill in March 2024. **Verdict** – Mixed: the core claim about being first is correct, but the year is wrong. **Analysis** – While the Isle of Man holds the historic first, multiple sources place the vote in March 2024. The error likely stems from confusing the timing of the bill’s passage with the ongoing delay awaiting royal assent.

**Claim 2** – For Isle of Man primary legislation to receive royal assent, the Lord Chancellor (currently David Lammy) must recommend it. **Evidence** – Legislation from Crown Dependencies requires approval from the UK government as a whole; the Lord Chancellor’s role is limited to UK legislation and does not include a mandatory recommendation for Manx laws. **Verdict** – False. **Analysis** – Constitutional practice assigns royal assent for Crown Dependency bills to the UK government, not to an individual minister’s recommendation. The Lord Chancellor may express views, but his endorsement is not a procedural requirement.

**Claim 3** – Between March and early December, the Ministry of Justice contacted the Isle of Man government 12 times regarding the assisted dying bill, according to a Press Association FOI request. **Evidence** – A Freedom of Information request by the Press Association showed exactly twelve MoJ communications with the Isle of Man government over that period. **Verdict** – True. **Analysis** – The FOI disclosure directly supports the claim, confirming sustained UK‑Isle of Man dialogue as the bill awaits further changes before royal assent can be granted.

What to watch next: whether the Isle of Man will adopt the requested amendments and resubmit the bill for UK approval before the July target set by its sponsor.