Victorian assisted dying legislation passed

Victoria is set to legalise assisted dying.

The Government’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill has now passed the upper house after amendments were made to secure crossbench support.

Under the legislation, adults suffering from a terminal illness will be able to access lethal drugs through their doctors. Eligible patients will be limited to those who have lived in Victoria for at least 12 months, who are of sound mind, and who have only 6 months to live (or 12 months, for those suffering from conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis or Motor Neurone Disease).

The bill will now be sent back to the lower house for ratification and is likely to commence in 2019.