Voluntary Euthanasia: The Northern Territory Experience

The purpose of this seminar series is to allow members of the academic staff in the Department of Law to put forward ideas that represent work in progress for the purposes of collegiate discussion. As such, while the focus of this discussion today will be to look at the passage of the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act in the Northern Territory, I will expand it somewhat to look at another issue, namely the doctrine of double effect, and its place in the law of euthanasia. I do this as this discussion forms part of the work that I am undertaking for my Masters through the University of Newcastle and I hope to publish it as an article, so any contribution from people here to show me the error of my thinking will be much appreciated. Let me then start by talking about the passage of the legislation in the Northern Territory.