Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017

Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017
Parliament of Victoria
  • An Act to provide for and regulate access to voluntary assisted dying, to establish the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, to make consequential amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996, the Coroners Act 2008, the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981, the Health Records Act 2001, the Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016, the Pharmacy Regulation Act 2010 and other Acts and for other purposes.
CitationNo. 61 of 2017
Passed byLegislative Assembly
Passed20 October 2017
Passed byLegislative Council
Passed22 November 2017
Royal assent5 December 2017
Commenced19 June 2019
Legislative history
First chamber: Legislative Assembly
Bill titleVoluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017
Introduced byHon. Jill Hennessy MP
Introduced20 September 2017
First reading20 September 2017
Second reading18 October 2017
Consideration in detail19–20 October 2017
Third reading20 October 2017
Second chamber: Legislative Council
Bill titleVoluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017
Received from the Legislative Assembly20 October 2017
Member(s) in chargeHon. Gavin Jennings MLC
First reading20 October 2017
Second reading3 November 2017
Committee of the whole14–22 November 2017
Third reading22 November 2017
Final stages
Legislative Council amendments considered by the Legislative Assembly29 November 2017
Finally passed both chambers29 November 2017
Summary
To provide for and regulate access to voluntary assisted dying
Keywords
Euthanasia, Right to die
Status: In force (amended)

On 29 November 2017, Victoria became the first Australian state to pass legislation allowing assisted suicide. The law gives anyone suffering a terminal illness, with less than six months to live, the right to end their life. The law had an 18-month implementation period, and came into effect on 19 June 2019.