Under Construction

Law reform is one of the major priorities of Dying with Dignity Tasmania.  There will be a great deal of action on this issue in the second half of 2011 and early 2012.  

DwDTas supports dying with dignity legislation that:

• allows aid-in-dying to be provided by doctors who are willing to provide it
• for those with terminal or advanced incurable conditions and suffering they find intolerable
• who are adults making a choice which is voluntary, competent and well informed about the options
• has strict terms and conditions with at least two doctors involved,  and
• ensures there is formal supervision and transparent reporting of the entire process, as exists in places like Oregon, the Netherlands and Belgium.

We are working in cooperation with MPs who support dying with dignity legislation for the development, passage and implementation of effective legislation, after community consultation.  We are very pleased that the Premier, Lara Giddings, has announced that she and Nick McKim, Leader of the Greens, intend to move a new dying with dignity Bill early in 2012.  We also support the community consultation later in 2011 on a Discussion Paper that will provide information on the different models for such legislation that are already working successfully overseas. 

Downloadable resources:

Dying with Dignity Bill (2009)
Voluntary Euthanasia Research Report (EMRS Poll)
Memorandum by the Modern Churchpeople's Union
Community Development Committee Report on the need for Legislation on Voluntary Euthanasia (1998)
VEST Submission to the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute 3/March/2004
Dr Rodney Syme's Glenorchy Library Speech July/2009
Greg Barn's speech to the Medico Legal Society 24/September/2009
Joint House Standing Committee report on the Dying with Dignity Bill 2009
The Oregon Death with Dignity Act