2013‑2014‑2015

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

THE SENATE

Presented and read a first time

Restoring Territory Rights (Assisted Suicide Legislation) Bill 2015

No.      , 2015

(Senator Leyonhjelm)

A Bill for an Act to amend certain Acts relating to the territories, and for other purposes

Contents

1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1

2............ Commencement................................................................................... 1

3............ Objects................................................................................................ 2

4............ Schedules............................................................................................ 2

Schedule 1—Amendments                                                                                                3

Part 1—Amendments                                                                                                    3

Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988                                  3

Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978                                                   3

Part 2—Repeal of the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997                                         4

Euthanasia Laws Act 1997                                                                                        4

Part 3—Application                                                                                                       5

A Bill for an Act to amend certain Acts relating to the territories, and for other purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Restoring Territory Rights (Assisted Suicide Legislation) Act 2015.

2  Commencement

Note:          This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

             (2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3  Objects

                   The objects of this Act are:

                     (a)  to reduce Commonwealth interference with the laws of the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory; and

                     (b)  to facilitate competitive federalism in law‑making; and

                     (c)  to recognise the right of the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory to legislate for assisted suicide within their jurisdictions; and

                     (d)  to repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 the enactment of which was inimical to the objects stated in paragraphs (a) to (c).

4  Schedules

                   Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Part 1—Amendments

Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988

1  Subsections 23(1A) and (1B)

Repeal the subsections.

Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978

2  Section 50A

Repeal the section.

Part 2—Repeal of the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997

Euthanasia Laws Act 1997

3  The whole of the Act

Repeal the Act.

Part 3—Application

4  Application

(1)       Despite the amendments made by this Schedule, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act of the Northern Territory:

                     (a)  continues to have effect as a law of the Territory in relation to any act or thing that was done before 27 March 1997; but

                     (b)  has no force or effect as a law of the Territory in relation to any act or thing done on or after that day.

(2)       Subitem (1) applies subject to a contrary intention in a law of the Northern Territory that is enacted after the commencement of this item.