Voluntary assisted dying will soon be an option for the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, now the Senate has just passed a landmark bill.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0passing<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022<\/a>\u00a0removes the\u00a0key legal barrier<\/a> for the ACT and Northern Territory to introduce their own voluntary assisted dying legislation, should they wish to do so. This could see the territories join all six Australian states, which already have voluntary assisted dying legislation.<\/p>\n After extensive consultation, the ACT\u00a0will introduce<\/a> its voluntary assisted dying legislation, with debate expected in late 2023 or early 2024. The Northern Territory government has\u00a0stated<\/a>\u00a0it has no plans to follow suit, at least during this parliamentary term.<\/p>\n Although the territories are now the only Australian jurisdictions without voluntary assisted dying laws, they once led reform in this area.<\/p>\n The ACT was the first Australian jurisdiction to attempt to legalise assisted dying, although its 1993 Voluntary and Natural Death Bill\u00a0failed to pass<\/a>. Shortly after, in 1995, the Northern Territory parliament passed the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 the first operational voluntary assisted dying law, not only in Australia, but in the world.<\/p>\n However, it was the passing of this law that prompted the Commonwealth to remove the territories\u2019 power to legislate in this field.<\/p>\n In 1997, the Northern Territory\u2019s act was overturned by the Commonwealth parliament through the Euthanasia Laws Act<\/a>, introduced by then Liberal backbencher Kevin Andrews. This act also aimed to prevent the territories passing such laws in the future.<\/p>\n The Commonwealth was only able to do this for the territories \u2013 not the states \u2013 because the Constitution gives the Commonwealth unlimited power to make laws \u201cfor the government of any territory<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n Although the territories are now the only Australian jurisdictions without voluntary assisted dying laws, they once led reform in this area.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Nine previous bills<\/a>\u00a0aiming to restore territory rights on this issue have been introduced into the Commonwealth parliament, but all had failed, until now.<\/p>\n If the ACT and Northern Territory choose to legalise voluntary assisted dying, they must consider<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0evidence<\/a>\u00a0and data from\u00a0states<\/a>\u00a0where voluntary assisted dying\u00a0is operational<\/a>. There is also an opportunity to select the best aspects from each state law.<\/p>\n For instance, for all states\u00a0except Queensland<\/a>, for a person to access voluntary assisted dying, they must be expected to die within six months (within 12 months for neurodegenerative conditions).<\/p>\n Given\u00a0challenges with delays<\/a>\u00a0in getting through the system, the 12-month period adopted by Queensland, or not imposing a specific time limit until death,\u00a0may allow more time<\/a>\u00a0for terminally ill people to navigate access.<\/p>\n Similarly, all states require a person to live in the state for 12 months before requesting assistance to die. Now voluntary assisted dying is lawful throughout most of Australia, there is little need for this requirement.<\/p>\n The territories may choose to impose\u00a0minimum legal obligations<\/a> for how health-care and aged-care facilities who do not participate in voluntary assisted dying handle such requests. This is the case in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales<\/a>.<\/p>\n The territories also may wish to allow eligible people to choose how the medication is administered \u2013 they can take it themselves or a health professional can administer it. This\u00a0choice is permitted in New South Wales<\/a>, whereas other states make self-administration the default method.<\/p>\n Of the\u00a0six states<\/a> with voluntary assisted dying laws, those in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania are already operational. Queensland\u2019s laws will start on January 1 2023, with South Australia following on January 31. New South Wales, the final state to pass its laws, will start on November 28.<\/p>\n Should the territories propose their own legislation, we\u2019d anticipate\u00a0wide consultation and debate<\/a>.<\/p>\n With territories now permitted to decide this matter for themselves, there is a real prospect for them to have access to voluntary assisted dying in the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n This article was co-authored by Katrine Del Villar, postdoctoral research fellow at the Queensland University of Technology, and Lindy Willmott Professor of Law at the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This article was originally published on\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>The Conversation<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n