Assisted dying edges closer with proposed new guidelines and laws

The panel advising the government on how to introduce a voluntary assisted dying scheme in Victoria has recommended strict eligibility criteria and new laws for anyone coercing someone to end their own life.

The Ministerial Advisory Panel on Voluntary Assisted Dying has made 66 recommendations.

Only adult Victorians close to death with “decision-making capacity” will be eligible for the scheme.

Those with a mental illness or disability will be excluded if they are also suffering a terminal illness.

The panel has recommended the request to die must be made voluntarily three times and overseen by two doctors.

Ten days is the quickest a person could access medication after making the initial request.

A contact person will be appointed to obtain the lethal dose and take responsibility to return any unused medication.

The medication must be kept in a locked box.

Four new offences have been recommended, including inducing a person to request voluntary assisted dying and falsifying records.

Professor Brian Owler, the panel’s chairman, says the framework would be the most conservative in the world.

Legislation will be put to parliament for a conscience vote within months.