{"id":6253,"date":"2021-07-04T19:34:11","date_gmt":"2021-07-04T11:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peacefulpillhandbook.com\/?p=6253"},"modified":"2021-07-12T22:01:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T13:31:51","slug":"celebrating-25-years-since-the-rights-of-the-terminally-ill-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euthanasia.net\/pph\/celebrating-25-years-since-the-rights-of-the-terminally-ill-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating 25 Years since the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are celebrating 25 Years since the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1 July 2021, because it was 25 years since the Northern Territory of Australia became the first place in the world to implement a voluntary euthanasia law, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The law was enacted on 1 July 1995 and implemented 12 months later on 1 July 1996. In celebrating 25 years since the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act<\/em>, the law was first used by Philip Nitschke<\/a> on 22 September that same year by Darwin man, Bob Dent.<\/p>\n

\"Celebrating<\/p>\n

Euthanasia Law Timelines<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the US state of Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act<\/em> in 1994, it was under an injunction and prevented from use until mid 1997.<\/p>\n

The Netherlands and Belgium both passed their end of life laws in 2002.<\/p>\n

Since the Northern Territory’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Act<\/em>, similar medical models have spread around the world. These other laws have proven more robust than the NT’s short-lived law.<\/p>\n

The Rights of the Terminally Ill<\/em> act only lasted 9 months because a conservative, catholic MP from Victoria, Kevin Andrews<\/a>, used a loophole in the Australian Constitution to overturn it by conscience vote in the Australian Federal Parliament.<\/p>\n

Section 122 of the Australian Constitution<\/em><\/a> allows the Federal Parliament to make laws for the ‘territories’ (but not the states) of Australia.<\/p>\n

Andrews connived to use this section to prevent the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and the various other small territories (eg. Norfolk Island) from making laws on voluntary euthanasia.<\/p>\n

These territories can make laws on all other things, but not on end of life choices.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward 25 years and on 1 July 2021, the state of West Australia became the 2nd Australian state to implement a right to die law.<\/p>\n

The states of Tasmania and South Australia have been passed right to die laws. These are due to be implemented in the coming years.<\/p>\n

All laws model the Northern Territory’s<\/strong><\/p>\n

All other Australian laws – both current and proposed – require a number of doctors to approve and grant a patient’s request for help at the end of life.<\/p>\n

None show any insight into how to do it better and more kindly.<\/p>\n

Kevin Andrews once boasted that in overturning the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act<\/em> he had set the movement back 20 years.<\/p>\n

On this point he was right.<\/p>\n

He not only set back the legislative agenda but in doing so, with the support of current senior politicians from both sides of Australian parliament (eg. Tony Burke<\/a> on the labor side), he helped create a mindset that end of life laws are dangerous and patients are in need of protection (from themselves).<\/p>\n

Exit argues that nothing could be further from the truth.<\/p>\n

Trust the people. Trust the system. And don’t put unnecessary barriers in the way of people when they are at their most vulnerable.<\/p>\n

Hello? Is anyone listening?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are celebrating 25 Years since the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1 July 2021, because it was 25 years since the Northern Territory of Australia became the first place in the world to implement a voluntary euthanasia law, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act. The law was enacted on 1 July 1995<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n