The Federal Court has ruled that, in the eyes of the law, voluntary assisted dying (VAD) and suicide are one and the same. This means doctors who discuss VAD with a patient via telephone, email or telehealth are at risk of prosecution and a $313,000 fine.

• Federal Court ruling is out of step with contemporary Australia

• Terminally ill people, especially in rural, regional and remote areas, will suffer

• Federal parliament must act to end discrimination against dying people

The South Australian VAD oversight body has released its latest quarterly report showing a 20 percent increase in the number of VAD permits issued during the quarter.

From 28 November 2023, eligible terminally ill people in NSW will have access to voluntary assisted dying, marking a significant milestone for NSW residents and for Australia as a whole.

To meet increased requests for voluntary assisted dying in Western Australia, the independent review board has called for a more sustainable service to avoid practitioner “burnout and fatigue”.

The number of terminally ill people accessing voluntary assisted dying and the number of practitioners willing to support them are steadily increasing, the latest report from Tasmania’s VAD Commission says.

Ben White, Queensland University of Technology and Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology

The first Australian Capital Territory voluntary assisted dying bill in more than 25 years was tabled in parliament yesterday.

This was possible after the Commonwealth lifted the ban on territories making laws about assisted dying in December last year. This meant the ACT and Northern Territory could join the six Australian states which have now passed voluntary assisted dying laws.

Go Gentle Australia welcomes the ACT Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, which has been introduced to parliament.

Four hundred clinicians, policymakers and patient advocates from across Australia and New Zealand met for the first time to discuss voluntary assisted dying practice and launch VADANZ, a new peak body for VAD professionals.

In the first six months of voluntary assisted dying in Queensland, 591 people commenced the process and 245 people died from administration of a VAD substance, a new report reveals.