Australia

In Australia, they speak about Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) when it comes to laws that create possibilities for assisted suicide. Australia is divided into states (6) and territories (2). 

Of Australia’s six states, five of them now have a VAD law: Victoria (2017), Western Australia (2019), Tasmania (2021), South Australia (2021) and Queensland (2021). In the remaining state, New South Wales (whose capital is Sydney), MPs will become under pressure to pass a VAD law too.

The two territories of Australia are the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Northern Territory (NT). The NT was the first jurisdiction on earth where euthanasia was legalized. However, this was for a short time (1997-1998). Then, the Australian federal government overturned this law: only 9 months after the act came into effect, it was repealed by the federal parliament. From that moment on, the parliaments of both territories were deprived of their authority to debate and pass voluntary assisted dying laws. Numerous attempts have been made, but unsuccessful, in restoring these powers to the territories.