Northern Territory set to pass voluntary assisted dying laws today, legalising VAD Australia-wide

Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws are expected to pass the Northern Territory Parliament today, in a move that will legalise the practice across Australia.

The legislation will go to a conscience vote, with almost all of the Northern Territory’s parliamentarians standing in favour.

The Northern Territory first legalised VAD in 1995, becoming the first place in Australia to do so, but the law was overturned by the federal government in 1997. It was only in 2022 that the Northern Territory, as well as the ACT, regained the power to legislate their own VAD laws with the passage of an act overturning the 25-year-old ban.

The bill has this week been surrounded by heated debate, after government backbencher Tanzil Rahman spoke out about his own party’s proposed laws and said he would put forward amendments in parliament today. Those amendments target clauses in the bill that would only allow access to voluntary assisted dying for people with 12 months or less left to live, and bar healthcare professionals from initiating conversations about VAD with patients.

Attorney-General Boothby said the laws would grant more rights and choices to terminally ill Territorians and their loved ones. It is possible that this will be a huge precedent to VAD being pushed and legalised Australia-wide.