The island’s Chief Minister Alfred Cannan has insisted there is ‘no constitutional problem’ following the UK Government’s decision not to recommend the Isle of Man’s Assisted Dying Bill for Royal Assent.

Speaking in Tynwald this week, Mr Cannan responded to concerns raised by members after the UK Ministry of Justice confirmed it would not approve the Assisted Dying Bill 2023 in its current form.

The Bill, which was passed by Tynwald more than a year ago, cannot come into force without Royal Assent, granted on the advice of the UK Government in its role relating to the Crown Dependencies.

Addressing the chamber, Mr Cannan rejected suggestions the island was being unfairly treated.

‘I agree that there’s no reason to believe the Isle of Man has been “targeted”,’ he said. ‘The delay, of course, has been regrettable, but again, fundamentally, this is a parliamentary matter that needs resolution.’

The issue was raised by Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper, who asked whether the government would act to protect the island’s constitutional independence if a revised Bill was again rejected.

Mr Cannan said he would not speculate on future scenarios.

‘I’m not about to speculate what ifs in the future, because I’m sure that each matter would need to be reviewed on its own merits,’ he said.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge described the situation as ‘a constitutional embarrassment’ and called for clarity from the Attorney General, while Treasury Minister Chris Thomas urged members to treat the matter as a legislative rather than constitutional issue.

The Ministry of Justice has said it requires further safeguards to be written into the Bill itself to ensure compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights, including measures relating to coercion, independent monitoring and patient capacity.

Although the Isle of Man Government had provided what were described as ‘comprehensive assurances’, these were not included in the legislation.

Ramsey MHK Alex Allinson has confirmed he will now bring forward amendments to address the concerns raised, with further debate expected in Tynwald in the coming weeks.