A prohibition on the Northern Territory passing its own voluntary assisted dying law has now been lifted. The NT's right to decide for itself on this issue was handed back when the Australian Parliament passed the Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022.

The NT parliament is now free to introduce its own voluntary assisted dying legislation, should it wish to do so.

The passage of the bill righted a historic wrong. Back in 1995, the NT bravely passed the world’s first compassionate voluntary euthanasia law. However, only four people were able to use the law before the Commonwealth overturned it and imposed a ban on the territory ever discussing the issue again.

While the NT now has the right to debate and pass VAD laws, the NT government has said it has no plans to introduce legislation before 2024.