Jersey's law allowing terminally ill adults to choose to end their lives has received Royal Assent. This critical step means the island's government can bring the service into force, expected later next year, making Jersey the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted dying.
Olivia's Law, requiring criminals to attend their sentencing hearings, has received Royal Assent. The legislation was created after 9-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot dead in Liverpool in 2022, when her killer Thomas Cashman refused to come up from his cell for sentencing. The law gives court staff powers to use reasonable force to bring defendants to court, with refusal potentially leading to additional time added to sentences and removal of privileges.
A law requiring criminals to attend their sentencing hearings has received Royal Assent, named Olivia's Law after 9-year-old Olivia Pratt Korbel who was shot dead in Liverpool in August 2022. Her mother Cheryl Korbel led the campaign after killer Thomas Cashman refused to come up from his cell for sentencing. The legislation gives court staff powers to use reasonable force to bring offenders to court and allows for additional time to be added to sentences for those who refuse.
The UK Parliament has passed a landmark bill to create the first smoke-free generation by prohibiting cigarette sales to anyone born after December 31, 2008. This legislation, awaiting royal assent, also grants the government enhanced powers to regulate tobacco and vaping products, aiming to significantly reduce smoking-related deaths and protect future generations from addiction.
Britain's parliament has approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, banning anyone born after January 1, 2009 (currently aged 17) from buying cigarettes for life. The legislation, awaiting royal assent, will extend smoking bans to outdoor spaces including children's playgrounds and areas outside schools and hospitals. It also grants powers to restrict vape flavours, packaging, and ban vaping where smoking is prohibited.
