Voluntary assisted dying in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is now the only jurisdiction in Australia without a VAD law.
Last year an expert panel recommended the NT draft a VAD law. Another committee report this year recommended VAD be adopted. In October 2025, NT government finally announced it would begin the process of drafting a bill, with a conscience vote next year.
But dying people don't have time to wait. We need to ensure this bill is passed, and the government understands how important end-of-life choice is to the community.
To help get a VAD law passed in the NT, so dying people have a choice, we're asking for your help with three things:
1. Click the button below to learn more and join the campaign
2. Contact your local politician and share this link with friends, family and your community - help us get to 500 emails!
Just enter your address and we'll automatically find their contact details. The Chief Minister receives a copy of every message. Let's flood their inboxes!
The link to share is: https://gogentleaustralia.good.do/VADNT
3. Share your story with us
Politicians care about you, the voters. Please share your story of why you want the law to change on VAD. It might be a personal experience, or perhaps you saw a loved one die badly. In other states, these stories have been the single most effective way to influence politicians.
The Northern Territory remains the only Australian jurisdiction without access to voluntary assisted dying (VAD).
This is despite the Territory being the first jurisdiction in the world to legalise assisted dying via a private member's bill in 1995. The law was subsequently overturned by the federal parliament two years later.
The NT's right to make laws about assisted dying was restored in December 2022, when the Australian Parliament passed the Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022.
In 2023, the NT Government assembled an Expert Advisory Panel to consider the legalisation of VAD in the Territory. Led by co-chairs The Hon Vicki O’Halloran AO CVO and Duncan McConnel SC, the panel recommended the NT government draft a VAD bill to bring the Territory in line with the rest of the country.
Another round of community consultation began in May 2025, with the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee's report recommending VAD be adopted. Read more about the committee's recommendations here.
In October 2025, NT government announced it would begin drafting a bill to be introduced to parliament in early 2026, with MPs allowed a conscience vote.
