Exploring public views on assisted dying

A Citizens’ Jury is a form of deliberative ‘mini-public’ and is a tool for engaging citizens on a wide range of policy issues. Citizens’ Juries consist of a representative group of citizens randomly selected to deliberate on a particular issue and provide recommendations to inform public policy. They place members of the public at the heart of processes. They emphasise the importance of consensus, collective decision-making, and deliberation.

The Citizens’ Jury was an opportunity for a diverse group of 30 residents in England, from different walks of life, to learn about and discuss the complexities relevant to assisted dying. The recommendations formed by the Jury are intended to deepen our understanding of public views and support policymakers, decision-makers and wider civil society to better understand public perspectives on the topic.

The Jury were asked to consider and answer to the following overarching questions:

1. Should the law in England be changed to permit assisted dying?

• What are the most important reasons in favour of permitting assisted dying?
• What are the most important reasons against permitting assisted dying?

2. If the law is changed to permit assisted dying in England, what should it include? What should it exclude?

3. If the law is not changed to permit assisted dying in England, are there any recommendations or changes to assisted dying policy that should be made?