POWERS OF ATTORNEY ACT 1998 - SECT 37 Act does not authorise euthanasia or affect particular provisions of Criminal Code

POWERS OF ATTORNEY ACT 1998 - SECT 37

37 Act does not authorise euthanasia or affect particular provisions of Criminal Code

To avoid any doubt, it is declared that nothing in this Act—

(a) authorises, justifies or excuses killing a person; or

(b) affects the Criminal Code , section 284 or chapter 28 .

Note—

Criminal Code —

284 Consent to death immaterial

Consent by a person to the causing of the person’s own death does not affect the criminal responsibility of any person by whom such death is caused.

Chapter 28 (Homicide—suicide—concealment of birth), including—

296 Acceleration of death

A person who does any act or makes any omission which hastens the death of another person who, when the act is done or the omission is made, is labouring under some disorder or disease arising from another cause, is deemed to have killed that other person.

311 Aiding suicide

Any person who—

(a) procures another to kill himself or herself; or

(b) counsels another to kill himself or herself and thereby induces the other person to do so; or

(c) aids another in killing himself or herself;

is guilty of a crime, and is liable to imprisonment for life.