Legalisation in the Northern Territory[edit]
Euthanasia was legalised in
Australia's
Northern Territory, by the
Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995. It passed by a vote of 15 to 10 and a year later, a repeal bill was brought before the Northern Territory Parliament in August 1996, but was defeated by 14 votes to 11.[SUP]
[7][/SUP] Soon after, the law was voided by an amendment by the Commonwealth to the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978. The powers of the Northern Territory legislature, unlike those of the State legislatures, are not guaranteed by the Australian constitution. However, before the Commonwealth government made this amendment, three people had already died through physician
assisted suicide under the legislation, aided by Dr
Philip Nitschke. The first person was a carpenter,
Bob Dent, who died on 22 September 1996.