Assisted Dying in Australia and Limiting Court Involvement in Withdrawal of Nutrition and Hydration.
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 15(1), 15-18.
Posted: 10 Sep 2018
Date Written: August 31, 2018
Abstract
In 1995 the Northern Territory passed the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 (NT) and in 1996 when it came into force, it was a world first and placed Australia at the forefront of legalized assisted dying. The Act was, however, rendered in effectual by the Commonwealth in1997 and since that time, euthanasia (assisted dying) has not been addressed by legislation in Australia. This recently changed in the State of Victoria with the passage of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 on the 29th of November 2017. Given the complexities of some of the procedural requirements of the Act, it will not come into effect until June 2019.
Keywords: Euthanasia, Assisted dying, End of life, Withdrawal of nutrition, Court authority
JEL Classification: K00, K32, K30, K39
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation