Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is now accessible in NSW.
Voluntary assisted dying allows eligible people with life threatening illnesses to choose the time and manner of their death.
It means voluntary assisted dying is now accessible in every Australian state.
Legislation is also under consideration in the ACT and the Northern Territory.
Voluntary assisted dying in Australia
Each state and territory makes its own voluntary assisted dying laws.
Legislation for NSW was introduced to state Parliament in October 2021 and comes into effect today.
To access voluntary assisted dying in NSW, a person must be 18 years or older. They must have a disease, illness or medical condition that would cause
death in six to 12 months.
NSW Independent MP Alex Greenwich introduced the bill, describing the laws as a win for compassion and democracy. Greenwich said that “with a clear majority of MPs representing their electorate’s support for the reform”.
Advocacy group Dying with Dignity NSW said that “after decades of fighting for this law, terminally ill people… can now choose how and when their lives end.”
