Australia's Northern Territory looks to legalize 'voluntary assisted death'

The Attorney General in the Northern Territory — Australia's sole jurisdiction that has not yet legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia — has announced that lawmakers will be introducing legislation to legalize "Voluntary Assisted Dying" (VAD), a euthanasia program, in 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• Lawmakers in the Northern Territory of Australia will consider adopting a Voluntary Assisted Dying bill this year.

• The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia that has not yet legalized euthanasia.

• The bill's introduction follows a government committee recommendation that the territory consider such legislation without a prognosis date — meaning eligible individuals may not need to have a terminal diagnosis of six to 12 months to live.

The Details:

Though the Northern Territory has not yet legalized VAD, it was the first place in the world to legalize euthanasia in 1995. However, that legalization was overturned by the Australian Parliament two years later. It is now the only jurisdiction in Australia that has not adopted VAD.

Northern Territory Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby announced last week that legislators would consider a VAD bill sometime in 2026.

“Legislating for the rights of the terminally ill is one of the most sensitive and complex reforms any government can undertake,” Boothby said in a statement. “We’re taking the time to get this right. We’re working carefully and consultatively — not rushing it — and we are committed to getting the balance right.”

Boothby's announcement comes after a government committee recommended last fall that the territory introduce such legislation. But that recommendation also suggested that the VAD law not include a "prognosis timeframe" — a departure from elsewhere in Australia, where patients can only qualify for euthanasia if they have a terminal diagnosis of six or 12 months to live.

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, previously warned that such a law would put vulnerable individuals at risk.

“It is particularly concerning that there is no requirement for a specific length prognosis in order for an individual to end their lives through the proposed assisted suicide and euthanasia programme," she said. "This could open the door to coercion and individuals choosing to end their lives due to any disabilities they may have."

Zoom Out:

Australia's six states and one other territory have all legalized VAD — and the shocking statistics should be enough to give officials in the Northern Territory pause.

Numbers released last month out of New South Wales showed that an average of 20 people per week are dying via euthanasia. A report out of Queensland last fall showed a 35 percent increase in euthanasia deaths, yet the report authors were only concerned that not enough doctors are willing to commit these deaths. Over a quarter of those who died were not receiving palliative care at the time of death.

In Victoria, lawmakers are currently seeking to loosen safeguards surrounding their VAD laws, as leaders there continue to push for more deaths. When euthanasia was being considered in the Australian Capital Territory, supporters there advocated for it to be made available to children, claiming that it was a "human rights principle" that minors should be able to access government-sanctioned suicide.

The Bottom Line:

Though advocates promise to "get the balance right," there is no balance when it comes to legalized killing. Euthanasia always places vulnerable individuals at risk — and as statistics elsewhere in the country demonstrate, once the killing starts, supporters only seek its expansion.