Abstract

Corby, Paschal M Following acts to legalise forms of assisted dying in other countries, the Australian state of Victoria is poised to do the same. In June last year, the Legal and Social Issues Committee of the Parliament of Victoria tabled the report resulting from its inquiry into end of life choices, which recommends the passing of laws that would make it legal for a terminally ill patient at the end of his or her life to ask a doctor to help him or her die. This proposal is currently before a ministerial advisory panel consisting of clinical, legal, health administration and palliative care experts, with the task of drafting a bill to be presented in parliament sometime later this year, to be decided by a conscience vote of its members.