Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995

The ''Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995'' (NT) was a controversial law legalising euthanasia in the Northern Territory of Australia, which was passed by the territory's Parliament in 1995. The Act was passed by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly on 25 May 1995 by a vote of 15 to 10, received the Administrator's assent on 16 June 1995, and entered into force on 1 July 1996. A year later, a repeal bill was brought before the Northern Territory Parliament in August 1996, but was defeated by 14 votes to 11.

The effect of the law was nullified in 1997 by the federal Parliament of Australia which passed the ''Euthanasia Laws Act 1997''. The Act continues on the Territory's statute books, however this was repealed in December 2022 with the passing of Restoring Territory Rights Act. Dr Philip Nitschke founded Exit International in response to the overturning of the Act.

While voluntary euthanasia had previously been condoned officially in the Netherlands and the US state of Oregon, the act was the first time that a legislative assembly passed a law explicitly legalising euthanasia. Provided by Wikipedia