Voluntary assisted dying in Australia: emerging questions

Until six years ago, there were no voluntary assisted dying laws in Australia, despite strong public support and fifty attempts in parliaments around the country. The change commenced in Victoria in 2017, after a parliamentary inquiry, a Ministerial Advisory Panel that consulted widely to craft recommendations for legislation, marathon parliamentary debates, and a conscience vote.1,2 Western Australia followed a similar path to their 2019 legislation,3,4 and other states soon also passed legislation. Later this year New South Wales will become the final state in which such a law comes into effect.