Pioneer of assisted dying welcomes NT law but warns against 12-month prognosis limit

Philip Nitschke, the physician behind the world’s first voluntary assisted dying case, welcomed the Northern Territory’s recent passage of assisted-dying legislation, noting the territory’s historic role in 1995. He voiced disappointment that the new law includes a clause requiring a doctor to determine a patient has less than 12 months to live, which he called an impossible condition that shifts power to physicians. Critics, including former chief minister Marshall Perron, labeled the requirement a terrible shame and a regression compared with other Australian jurisdictions.

Local residents like Dave Collins, who suffers from widespread incurable cancer, fear the prognosis limit will prevent them from using the service, while others such as Eileen expressed both gratitude for the law and frustration over the same restriction. The legislation also contains a gag clause preventing doctors from initiating assisted-dying discussions, a measure shared only with South Australia.