VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING ACT 2019

Table of Provisions

PART 1 -- Preliminary

Division 1 -- Introductory provisions  

• 1 Short title
 
• 2 Commencement
 
• 3 Act binds Crown

Division 2 -- Principles  

• 4 Principles

Division 3 -- Interpretation  

• 5 Terms used
 
• 6 Decision-making capacity
 
• 7 Voluntary assisted dying substance
 
• 8 When request and assessment process completed

Division 4 -- Other provisions  

• 9 Registered health practitioner may refuse to participate in voluntary assisted dying
 
• 10 Health care worker not to initiate discussion about voluntary assisted dying
 
• 11 Contravention of Act by registered health practitioner
 
• 12 Voluntary assisted dying not suicide
 
• 13 Inherent jurisdiction of Supreme Court not affected
 
• 14 Relationship with Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 and Misuse of Drugs Act 1981

PART 2 -- Requirements for access to voluntary assisted dying  

• 15 When person can access voluntary assisted dying
 
• 16 Eligibility criteria

PART 3 -- Requesting access to voluntary assisted dying and assessment of eligibility

Division 1 -- Eligibility requirements for medical practitioners  

• 17 Eligibility to act as coordinating practitioner or consulting practitioner

Division 2 -- First request  

• 18 Person may make first request to medical practitioner
 
• 19 No obligation to continue after making first request
 
• 20 Medical practitioner to accept or refuse first request
 
• 21 Medical practitioner to record first request and acceptance or refusal
 
• 22 Medical practitioner to notify Board of first request
 
• 23 Medical practitioner becomes coordinating practitioner if first request accepted

Division 3 -- First assessment  

• 24 First assessment
 
• 25 Coordinating practitioner to have completed approved training
 
• 26 Referral for determination
 
• 27 Information to be provided if patient assessed as meeting eligibility criteria
 
• 28 Outcome of first assessment
 
• 29 Recording and notification of outcome of first assessment
 
• 30 Referral for consulting assessment if patient assessed as eligible

Division 4 -- Consulting assessment  

• 31 Medical practitioner to accept or refuse referral for consulting assessment
 
• 32 Medical practitioner to record referral and acceptance or refusal
 
• 33 Medical practitioner to notify Board of referral
 
• 34 Medical practitioner becomes consulting practitioner if referral accepted
 
• 35 Consulting assessment
 
• 36 Consulting practitioner to have completed approved training
 
• 37 Referral for determination
 
• 38 Information to be provided if patient assessed as meeting eligibility criteria
 
• 39 Outcome of consulting assessment
 
• 40 Recording and notification of outcome of consulting assessment
 
• 41 Referral for further consulting assessment if patient assessed as ineligible

Division 5 -- Written declaration  

• 42 Patient assessed as eligible may make written declaration
 
• 43 Witness to signing of written declaration
 
• 44 Certification of witness to signing of written declaration
 
• 45 Coordinating practitioner to record written declaration
 
• 46 Coordinating practitioner to notify Board of written declaration

Division 6 -- Final request and final review  

• 47 Patient may make final request to coordinating practitioner
 
• 48 When final request can be made
 
• 49 Coordinating practitioner to record final request
 
• 50 Coordinating practitioner to notify Board of final request
 
• 51 Final review by coordinating practitioner on receiving final request
 
• 52 Technical error not to invalidate request and assessment process
 
• 53 No obligation for patient to continue after completion of request and assessment process

PART 4 -- Accessing voluntary assisted dying and death

Division 1 -- Eligibility requirements for administering practitioners  

• 54 Eligibility to act as administering practitioner

Division 2 -- Administration of voluntary assisted dying substance  

• 55 Application of Division
 
• 56 Administration decision
 
• 57 Revocation of administration decision
 
• 58 Self-administration
 
• 59 Practitioner administration
 
• 60 Coordinating practitioner to notify Board of administration decision and prescription of substance
 
• 61 Certification by administering practitioner following administration of prescribed substance
 
• 62 Witness to administration of prescribed substance
 
• 63 Transfer of administering practitioner’s role

Division 3 -- Contact person  

• 64 Application of Division
 
• 65 Patient to appoint contact person
 
• 66 Contact person appointment form
 
• 67 Role of contact person
 
• 68 Contact person may refuse to continue in role

Division 4 -- Prescribing, supplying and disposing of voluntary assisted dying substance  

• 69 Information to be given before prescribing substance
 
• 70 Prescription for substance
 
• 71 Authorised supplier to authenticate prescription
 
• 72 Information to be given when supplying prescribed substance
 
• 73 Labelling requirements for prescribed substance
 
• 74 Authorised supplier to record and notify of supply
 
• 75 Disposal of prescribed substance by authorised disposer
 
• 76 Authorised disposer to record and notify of disposal
 
• 77 Disposal of prescribed substance by administering practitioner
 
• 78 Administering practitioner to record and notify of disposal

Division 5 -- Other matters  

• 79 Authorised suppliers and authorised disposers
 
• 80 Certain directions as to supply or administration prohibited
 
• 81 Structured administration and supply arrangement not to be issued for substance
 
• 82 Notification of death

PART 5 -- Review by Tribunal  

• 83 Terms used
 
• 84 Application for review of certain decisions by Tribunal
 
• 85 Notice of decision and right to have it reviewed
 
• 86 Consequences of review application
 
• 87 Review application taken to be withdrawn if patient dies
 
• 88 Decision of Tribunal
 
• 89 Effect of decision under s. 88(a), (c) or (e)
  90. Effect of decision under s. 88(b), (d) or (f)   91. Coordinating practitioner may refuse to continue in role  
• 92 Constitution and membership of Tribunal
 
• 93 Hearings of Tribunal to be held in private
 
• 94 Notice requirements
 
• 95 Coordinating practitioner to give Tribunal relevant material
 
• 96 Tribunal to give written reasons for decision
 
• 97 Published decisions or reasons to exclude personal information
 
• 98 Interim orders

PART 6 -- Offences  

• 99 Unauthorised administration of prescribed substance
 
• 100 Inducing another person to request or access voluntary assisted dying
 
• 101 Inducing self-administration of prescribed substance
 
• 102 False or misleading information
 
• 103 Advertising Schedule 4 or 8 poison as voluntary assisted dying substance
 
• 104 Cancellation of document presented as prescription
 
• 105 Contact person to give unused or remaining substance to authorised disposer
 
• 106 Recording, use or disclosure of information
 
• 107 Publication of personal information concerning proceeding before Tribunal
 
• 108 Failure to give form to Board

PART 7 -- Enforcement  

• 109 Application of Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 Part
 
• 110 Court to notify CEO of conviction of offence under Act
 
• 111 Who may commence proceedings for simple offence
 
• 112 Time limit for prosecution of simple offence

PART 8 -- Protection from liability  

• 113 Protection for persons assisting access to voluntary assisted dying or present when substance administered
 
• 114 Protection for persons acting in accordance with Act
 
• 115 Protection for certain persons who do not administer lifesaving treatment

PART 9 -- Voluntary Assisted Dying Board

Division 1 -- Establishment  

• 116 Board established
 
• 117 Status

Division 2 -- Functions and powers  

• 118 Functions of Board
 
• 119 Powers of Board
 
• 120 Delegation by Board

Division 3 -- Staff and assistance  

• 121 Staff and services
 
• 122 Assistance

Division 4 -- Accountability  

• 123 Minister may give directions
 
• 124 Minister to have access to information

Division 5 -- Membership  

• 125 Membership of Board
 
• 126 Chairperson and deputy chairperson
 
• 127 Term of office
 
• 128 Casual vacancies
 
• 129 Extension of term of office during vacancy
 
• 130 Alternate members
 
• 131 Remuneration of members

Division 6 -- Board meetings  

• 132 Holding meetings
 
• 133 Quorum
 
• 134 Presiding member
 
• 135 Procedure at meetings
 
• 136 Voting
 
• 137 Holding meetings remotely
 
• 138 Resolution without meeting
 
• 139 Minutes

Division 7 -- Disclosure of interests  

• 140 Disclosure of material personal interest
 
• 141 Voting by interested member
 
• 142 Section 141 may be declared inapplicable
 
• 143 Quorum where s. 141 applies
 
• 144 Minister may declare s. 141 and 143 inapplicable

Division 8 -- Committees  

• 145 Establishment of committees
 
• 146 Directions to committee
 
• 147 Committee to determine own procedures
 
• 148 Remuneration of committee members

Division 9 -- Information  

• 149 Board to send information to contact person for patient
 
• 150 Request for information
 
• 151 Disclosure of information
 
• 152 Board to record and retain statistical information

Division 10 -- Miscellaneous  

• 153 Board to notify receipt of forms
 
• 154 Execution of documents by Board
 
• 155 Annual report

PART 10 -- Access standard  

• 156 Standard about access to voluntary assisted dying

PART 11 -- General  

• 157 Transfer of coordinating practitioner’s role
 
• 158 Communication between patient and practitioner
 
• 159 Information about voluntary assisted dying
 
• 160 CEO may approve training
 
• 161 CEO may approve forms
 
• 162 Interpreters
 
• 163 Regulations
 
• 164 Review of Act

PART 12 -- Consequential amendments to other Acts

Division 1 -- Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1899 amended  

• 165 Act amended
 
• 166 Schedule V amended

Division 2 -- Coroners Act 1996 amended  

• 167 Act amended
 
• 168 Section 3A inserted
  3A. Death under Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2019 not reportable death 103

Division 3 -- Guardianship and Administration Act 1990 amended  

• 169 Act amended
 
• 170 Section 3B inserted
  3B. Act does not authorise decisions about voluntary assisted dying 104

Division 4 -- Health and Disability Services (Complaints) Act 1995 amended  

• 171 Act amended
 
• 172 Section 3 amended

Division 5 -- Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 amended  

• 173 Act amended
 
• 174 Section 3 amended
 
• 175 Section 7 amended
 
• 176 Section 14 amended
 
• 177 Section 28 amended
 
• 178 Section 83 amended
 
• 179 Section 115 amended

Division 6 -- Misuse of Drugs Act 1981 amended  

• 180 Act amended
 
• 181 Section 5C inserted
  5C. Authorisation under Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2019 111  
• 182 Section 5 amended
 
• 183 Section 6 amended
 
• 184 Section 7 amended
 
• 185 Section 7B amended
 
• 186 Section 27 amended
Defined terms

An Act —
•         to provide for and regulate access to voluntary assisted dying; and
•         to establish the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board; and
•         to make consequential amendments to other Acts.