Ben White, Queensland University of Technology; Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology, and Marcus Sellars, Australian National University
Interviews with 32 doctors who provided voluntary assisted dying services in Victoria found layers of bureaucracy made it difficult for patients to access the system. Some died while waiting.
Ben White, Queensland University of Technology and Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology
Draft legislation which would see voluntary assisted dying allowed in Queensland will be introduced into the state’s parliament next week. So how does the proposed law compare to other states?
Bill C-7 seeks to expand access to medical assistance in dying (MAID) to people who are not terminally ill, including those who suffer solely from mental illness.
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The fundamental underpinning of all MAID requests is supposed to be the presence of an incurable medical condition, but it’s not possible to predict that a mental illness will not improve.
Assisted dying is often cast as an issue of individual autonomy, but an assisted death can have repercussions on many people — those left behind or others struggling with a chronic disease.
Over the first year of voluntary assisted dying in Victoria, about 400 people applied to access the laws to end their lives. There are lingering issues, but the system is workable.
A new report tells us in the first six months voluntary assisted dying was legal in Victoria, 52 people ended their lives. But the report doesn’t tell us everything we need to know.
The stress over their ability to swallow can provoke a great deal of anxiety in patients.
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Nine states and the District of Columbia currently have laws that permit assisted dying, but the laws are so restrictive that they are often more hurdle than help.
If the bill clears its final hurdle next week, Western Australia will become the second state in Australia after Victoria to legalise voluntary assisted dying.
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A marathon round of amendments and parliamentary debate will likely see voluntary assisted dying implemented in WA in around 18 months. It’s time to start preparing.
Critics of assisted suicide often raise moral objections while proponents focus on the trauma of terminally ill patients. But all arguments have a long history.
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Many people might want to choose how, when, and under what circumstances they die – but diseases like dementia can complicate advance euthanasia directives.
Jean Truchon, right, looks on as lawyer Jean-Pierre Menard gives their reaction to a Québec judge overturning parts of provincial and federal laws on medically assisted dying on September 12, 2019.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
One judge must not be allowed to curtail parliament’s power to promote broader societal interests and protect people who are elderly, ill and disabled.
Without an understanding of the complexities of medically assisted dying, it’s difficult for patients and families to make good decisions.
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Nurses who surround the process of medically assisted dying are an important source of insight into the real conversations our society needs to have about what it’s really like.
A person wanting to access voluntary assisted dying must meet strict criteria, including having a medical condition that is considered to be advanced and progressive.
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Western Australia might soon become the second state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying. Its proposed law draws on the Victorian model, but has some important differences, too.
On June 19, Victoria will become the first state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying.
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Ben White, Queensland University of Technology; Eliana Close, Queensland University of Technology, and Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology
As we sit on the cusp of voluntary assisted dying becoming legal in Victoria, we expect it won’t always be simple for people who want it to access it – at least in the legislation’s early days.
On May 16, 2019, Madeleine Munier Apaire (shown here in June 2014), lawyer for Vincent Lambert’s nephew, considered that all remedies were “exhausted”.
Eric Feferberg/AFP
The debate over Mr. Vincent Lambert’s decision to discontinue his care overshadowed equally important judicial and ethical issues. A look back at a complex situation that will set a precedent.
Veterinarians face a moral dilemma when asked to euthanise healthy pets.
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From June 19, Victorians at the end of their lives can request medical assistance to die. Voluntary assisted dying may offer a new option for some, but the practice will be strictly regulated.
Justice minister Andrew Little (left) said that the “year and a day” rule can no longer be justified because of medical advances that keep people alive for longer.
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New Zealand’s parliament this week passed an amendment to the crimes act, abolishing the “year and a day” rule. This raises questions about any proposed euthanasia laws and homicide more generally.