We all have the right to die by our own hand - and it is called " Suicide " ! Many decades ago this was considered a crime and the victim of a failed suicide was put before a court and punished. In this more enlightened age, that law was dropped - but anyone assisting another person to end their life faces legal peril.
Both the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory passed laws that made euthanasia legal, but the Federal government has veto power over Territory law and the legislation was struck down. Now Tasmania is considering a private members bill to make " assisted dying " legal and the Feds do not have that veto power over the wishes of a sovereign state. It seems that euthanasia will at last become a reality.
As usual, the devil is in the detail ! " Euthanasia " can mean many things to many different people - and it will be interesting to see just how this law is framed.
Ending ones life can be a messy business if the person seeking death is forced to use uncivilized practices. Blowing one's head off with a shotgun is distressing for relatives - and someone has the task of cleaning up the mess.
It would be far better for a person wishing an end to life to be able to consult a doctor - and if able to convince that this wish had been thought through and was reasonable - to obtain a script for a drug that would do the job.
Proponents will use the phrase " Dying with dignity " to support this bill, and surely ending one's life is a personal choice. Many dread the infirmity of old age and encroaching medical disabilities make " life " a dreadful experience for others. We are legally entitled to die - it is just a matter of choosing a method to achieve that end.
There will be the usual opposition from the churches and opponents will claim that greedy relatives will " pressure " people to end their lives for personal gain, but a well constructed bill will provide a clear pathway for those considering their life's termination to do so with safeguards in place.
It would be wise to include a reasonable time frame from approach to culmination to eliminate " spur of the moment " decisions. There are age restrictions on many activities - from drinking to driving - and it would be reasonable if these extended to euthanasia, but that is something that the Tasmanian legislators will have to grapple with.
Opinion polls show that the great majority of Australians are in favour of allowing euthanasia. At long last - it is about to become a reality !
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