2013‑2014‑2015‑2016

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

THE SENATE

Presented and read a first time

Restoring Territory Rights (Dying with Dignity) Bill 2016

No.      , 2016

(Senators Di Natale and Gallagher)

A Bill for an Act to amend certain territory legislation to restore legislative powers concerning euthanasia and to repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997, and for related purposes

Contents

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

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

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

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

Schedule 1—Amendments                                                                                                3

Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988                                  3

Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978                                                   3

Schedule 2—Repeal of Euthanasia Laws Act 1997                                          4

Euthanasia Laws Act 1997                                                                                        4

A Bill for an Act to amend certain territory legislation to restore legislative powers concerning euthanasia and to repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Restoring Territory Rights (Dying with Dignity) Act 2016.

2  Commencement

             (1)  Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Note:          This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted.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 recognise the rights of the legislative assemblies of the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory to make laws for the peace, order and good government of their territories, including the right to legislate for voluntary euthanasia; and

                     (b)  to repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 which removed that right to legislate for voluntary euthanasia.

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

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.

Schedule 2—Repeal of Euthanasia Laws Act 1997

Euthanasia Laws Act 1997

1  The whole of the Act

                   Repeal the Act.

2  Application

                   To avoid doubt, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 (NT) has no force or effect as a law of the Territory, except regarding the lawfulness or validity of any act or thing done in accordance with that enactment prior to the commencement of the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997.