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Australian territory boasts about 'most progressive' euthanasia law
After passing a pro-assisted suicide and euthanasia law, legislators in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) boasted that it is the "most progressive" assisted suicide model in Australia.
Just eight months after the law was passed, the territory was on track to have the highest percentage of assisted deaths in the first year since enactment, even surpassing Canada.
The Australian Capital Territory legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia on November 3, 2025.
The law does not require a person to be expected to die within a certain timeframe and there are no waiting periods.
It is the "most progressive" assisted death law in Australia.
The territory is on track to have the highest percentage of assisted deaths in the first year since enactment, even surpassing Canada.
The ACT, a federal territory of Australia that encloses Canberra, the national capital city, legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia on November 3, 2025.
According to its first oversight report, by June 30, 2026, 57 people had died. This put the ACT on track to have the highest percentage of deaths in the world at the one year mark, three times the percentage of Canada.
The reason so many people died by assisted suicide in the ACT in just a matter of months is that there are virtually no regulations.
It is the only assisted death legislation in Australia that does not require that a person be expected to die within a certain timeframe in order to qualify.
There are also zero waiting periods between the steps of the application process, so theoretically, a person could request death and be dead within a day.
So far, at least one person has been known to have died just two days after making their initial request.
That still wasn't enough, however, as plans to expand the law are already underway.
The Legislative Assembly voted 16-7 in support of a motion that called for the government to allow euthanasia for people who have become unable to consent but have an 'advance request' for assisted suicide. As opposed to assisted suicide (in which the doctor prescribes a deadly drug cocktail that the patient takes), in euthanasia, the doctor administers a deadly drug cocktail to the patient, killing them.
Dr. Marisa Paterson, minister for health, said:
"I am so proud of our Voluntary Assisted Dying scheme. In its first year of operation, more than 50 Canberrans have been able to end their lives with dignity and autonomy, at the right time for them. The ACT has a clinically robust and well-governed voluntary assisted dying framework, supported by strong clinical engagement, appropriate safeguards and effective oversight by the Voluntary Assisted Dying Oversight Board."
The ACT’s scheme is also the most progressive in the country, including no specific timeframe to death caused by the condition, no mandated wait times between the steps of the process, the ability for nurse practitioners to act as authorised practitioners and undertake assessments, and offences for facilities who block access to the voluntary assisted dying scheme."
According to Independent Catholic News, the ACT Voluntary Assisted Dying Oversight Board is chaired by a woman named Darlene Cox, who had previously signed two submissions on assisted death that said eligibility for assisted suicide should "prioritize access over safeguards" and suggested the that government introduce a law that was more expansive.
She considers assisted suicide to be the "ultimate demonstration of consumer empowerment."
Currently, assisted death proponents in the ACT are working to have the restrictions on telehealth assisted suicide lifted.
Attorney General Tara Cheyne explained, "“The one major barrier that remains is not of the ACT’s making. Commonwealth criminal law still stops practitioners from discussing voluntary assisted dying by phone or video, and that falls hardest on people who are too unwell to travel to an appointment. The ACT Government will keep pressing the Australian Parliament until it is fixed.”
Paterson also said there will be a review in 2028 to "improve the operation of the scheme" using community feedback.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
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Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
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·Australian territory boasts about 'most progressive' euthanasia law
After passing a pro-assisted suicide and euthanasia law, legislators in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) boasted that it is the "most progressive" assisted suicide model in Australia.
Just eight months after the law was passed, the territory was on track to have the highest percentage of assisted deaths in the first year since enactment, even surpassing Canada.
The Australian Capital Territory legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia on November 3, 2025.
The law does not require a person to be expected to die within a certain timeframe and there are no waiting periods.
It is the "most progressive" assisted death law in Australia.
The territory is on track to have the highest percentage of assisted deaths in the first year since enactment, even surpassing Canada.
The ACT, a federal territory of Australia that encloses Canberra, the national capital city, legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia on November 3, 2025.
According to its first oversight report, by June 30, 2026, 57 people had died. This put the ACT on track to have the highest percentage of deaths in the world at the one year mark, three times the percentage of Canada.
The reason so many people died by assisted suicide in the ACT in just a matter of months is that there are virtually no regulations.
It is the only assisted death legislation in Australia that does not require that a person be expected to die within a certain timeframe in order to qualify.
There are also zero waiting periods between the steps of the application process, so theoretically, a person could request death and be dead within a day.
So far, at least one person has been known to have died just two days after making their initial request.
That still wasn't enough, however, as plans to expand the law are already underway.
The Legislative Assembly voted 16-7 in support of a motion that called for the government to allow euthanasia for people who have become unable to consent but have an 'advance request' for assisted suicide. As opposed to assisted suicide (in which the doctor prescribes a deadly drug cocktail that the patient takes), in euthanasia, the doctor administers a deadly drug cocktail to the patient, killing them.
Dr. Marisa Paterson, minister for health, said:
"I am so proud of our Voluntary Assisted Dying scheme. In its first year of operation, more than 50 Canberrans have been able to end their lives with dignity and autonomy, at the right time for them. The ACT has a clinically robust and well-governed voluntary assisted dying framework, supported by strong clinical engagement, appropriate safeguards and effective oversight by the Voluntary Assisted Dying Oversight Board."
The ACT’s scheme is also the most progressive in the country, including no specific timeframe to death caused by the condition, no mandated wait times between the steps of the process, the ability for nurse practitioners to act as authorised practitioners and undertake assessments, and offences for facilities who block access to the voluntary assisted dying scheme."
According to Independent Catholic News, the ACT Voluntary Assisted Dying Oversight Board is chaired by a woman named Darlene Cox, who had previously signed two submissions on assisted death that said eligibility for assisted suicide should "prioritize access over safeguards" and suggested the that government introduce a law that was more expansive.
She considers assisted suicide to be the "ultimate demonstration of consumer empowerment."
Currently, assisted death proponents in the ACT are working to have the restrictions on telehealth assisted suicide lifted.
Attorney General Tara Cheyne explained, "“The one major barrier that remains is not of the ACT’s making. Commonwealth criminal law still stops practitioners from discussing voluntary assisted dying by phone or video, and that falls hardest on people who are too unwell to travel to an appointment. The ACT Government will keep pressing the Australian Parliament until it is fixed.”
Paterson also said there will be a review in 2028 to "improve the operation of the scheme" using community feedback.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Bridget Sielicki
·Guest Column
Lisa Murphy
·Issues
Bridget Sielicki
·Issues
Bridget Sielicki
·Issues
Bridget Sielicki
·Issues
Sheena Rodriguez
·Nancy Flanders
·Pop Culture
Nancy Flanders
·Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·Analysis
Nancy Flanders
·Activism
Nancy Flanders
·