Breaking: Voluntary assisted dying legal nation-wide after laws pass NT parliament
Voluntary assisted dying laws have passed the Northern Territory Parliament tonight, in a move that will legalise the practice across Australia.
The Northern Territory Parliament recently passed voluntary assisted dying (VAD) legislation through a conscience vote, making VAD legal throughout the country. Most parliamentarians supported legalizing VAD, though some introduced amendments that were ultimately rejected. A gag clause preventing medical professionals from initiating conversations about VAD will remain in the legislation, despite two attempts to remove it.
Recipients must have a prognosis of no more than 12 months left to live before accessing the service. Some Country Liberal Party (CLP) backbenchers supported and opposed the amendments, while others aligned with the Labor Opposition and independent Member for Johnston Justine Davis. The bill's passage marks a significant change in Australia's approach to terminal care, though the gag clause and prognosis period remain contentious issues.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
