South Australia's amended Voluntary Euthanasia Bill:
WHO CAN APPLY TO DIE:
- Mentally competent adults with terminal medical conditions
- Death must be inevitable
- Suffering must be intolerable to the patient
- Requests for assisted dying cannot be made solely on the grounds of someone's disability, age or mental health
- Applicants must have lived in South Australia for at least a year before making a request
CHECKS AND BALANCES:
- Two doctors must confirm applicants have terminal, incurable conditions, and that acceptable options to ease suffering have been exhausted
- Two independent witnesses must certify that requests have been made voluntarily and that the person is eligible
- Doctors and witnesses must reject a request if they suspect the applicant has been pressured to make it
- Psychiatric reports will be required if doctors have doubts about an applicant's soundness of mind
- Applicants must wait at least 2 weeks between being approved for assisted dying, and ending their lives
HOW IT WOULD WORK:
- Successful applicants can self-administer a lethal dose of drugs
- Or they can have a doctor or nurse do it for them
- Medical staff who carry out authorised voluntary euthanasia are protected from criminal or civil liability
- Death certificates will not say suicide or homicide
- Euthanasia deaths will be recorded as being caused by the terminal illness
