Western Australia has become the third jurisdiction in the federation – and 19th in the world – to legalise euthanasia.
Western Australia has become the third jurisdiction in the federation – and 19th in the world – to legalise euthanasia, with the McGowan government's voluntary assisted dying law clearing its final parliamentary hurdle on Tuesday evening.
But while the new legislation is not expected to come into effect until the mid-2021, there are already calls for it to be relaxed to allow people who are "tired of life" to access dying under its provisions.Once in force, WA's Voluntary Assisted Dying Act will allow patients with a disease that would more likely than not cause death within six months to end their life with a lethal "voluntary assisted dying substance".
"I am very pleased for all those people out there who want to access this that that opportunity will be there for them."Victoria passed similar legislation in 2017, with the first death taking place in August.Marta Pascual Juanola He said there was no requirement for a medical specialist or a psychiatrist to be involved in the voluntary assisted dying process and the lethal substance would be prescribed to patients to consume without supervision.
He said other jurisdictions had changed how they implemented euthanasia laws to "allow further categories of people; those with a mental illness, children and now there's this argument around those who are what are described as 'tired of life'".
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