Voluntary assisted dying laws have been passed in the Northern Territory jurisdiction, following debate over a gag clause that bars doctors from raising end-of-life options with patients, Australian Associated Press reports. The rights of the terminally ill bill passed on a conscience vote in the Northern Territory parliament late last night, with the gag clause remaining intact.
The Northern Territory was the first Australian jurisdiction to legalise voluntary euthanasia in 1995, but these laws were overturned by the federal government in 1997. The federal veto was lifted in 2022, restoring the NT’s right to create its own assisted dying laws. All six states and the ACT have since passed their own laws allowing voluntary assisted dying.
The new NT bill stipulates that only individuals predicted by doctors to have 12 months or less to live would be eligible for assisted dying. During parliamentary debate yesterday, government backbencher Tanzil Rahman spoke against the gag clause, arguing it would prevent compassionate conversations with terminally ill patients, particularly those in aged-care homes. Opposition leader Selina Uibo also argued that residents of aged care institutions should not be denied information, emphasising their right to make informed choices about end-of-life options.