Queensland Approves Voluntary Assisted Dying

Queensland has voted to legalize voluntary assisted dying, becoming the fifth jurisdiction in Australia to do so, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

Photo Insert: Queensland is the fifth jurisdiction in Australia to legalize assisted dying.

The bill, which will allow eligible people to access voluntary assisted dying as an additional end-of-life option, was passed by the state parliament on Thursday night. The law is set to come into place at the beginning of 2023, health authorities said, adding that eligibility to access the option will follow "strict criteria."

Queensland Health will next deal with the "complex clinical and administrative arrangements ... needed to establish a voluntary assisted dying scheme in Queensland."

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called the passing of the bill "a historic moment" in a statement.

"This is about the choice of an individual to say how they wish to end their life with dignity," she said.

"There is dignity in work. There is dignity in the family and the friends that surround you. And there should be dignity in death." Voluntary assisted dying is legal in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania.

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