Euthanasia White Paper out next year

Malta will start debating euthanasia next year with Reforms Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg telling MaltaToday she will release a White Paper for public consultation.

The White Paper is expected to include the principles, which government wants to abide by before drafting a Bill that will later be tabled in parliament.

The government has an electoral mandate to introduce euthanasia for terminally ill patients after it was included in the 2022 election manifesto.

“The aim of the White Paper is to create a discussion as promised in our manifesto. We are open to any discussion… we have to listen to people, which is why we will be issuing a White Paper,” Buttigieg said in an interview published today.

She insisted the government did not have a proposal that is cast in stone but is currently studying the different laws available in only a handful of countries and speaking to people passing through painful experiences.

“I look forward to a mature discussion on the issue that is based on facts… Our aim is to give the person passing through a lot of suffering the chance to make their own choices about themselves. But we are not just studying but also talking to people because after all this deals with human stories,” she said.

Buttigieg noted that the recently approved assisted dying Bill in the British parliament has certain aspects that can be adopted in Malta but she insisted foreign laws may not automatically be transposed to the local context.

“This is a sensitive discussion. I will not be a wise politician if I do not do my homework and study existing legislation in other countries. Across Europe this is a controversial subject and there aren’t many countries that have such laws in place. Even if such a law exists elsewhere it does not automatically mean that it makes sense for Malta,” she added.

The Labour Party 2022 manifesto made a commitment to strengthen palliative care but also proposed the introduction of euthanasia.

“We believe the time has come for a mature national discussion on the introduction of voluntary euthanasia for people with a terminal illness,” the manifesto says.

Only recently, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela said the UK’s approach to assisted dying could serve as a potential blueprint for Malta.

However, he also emphasised the importance of strengthening Malta’s palliative care system, reassuring the public that any debate on assisted dying would not undermine this commitment.

In November, MPs in the UK House of Commons voted in favour of a proposal to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. The Bill, called the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, would make it legal for individuals over the age of 18 who are terminally ill to receive assistance in ending their own life.