Ending Life with Dignity (No 2) Bill 2013 (SA)

 South Australia has introduced the Ending Life with Dignity (No 2) Bill 2013, which, if passed, would provide for the administration of medical procedures to assist death for those who are terminally ill, suffering unbearably and who have expressed a desire for the procedures. The Bill was introduced to the House of Assembly on 31 October 2013.

The No 2 Bill is a significantly modified version of the original - introduced in February 2013 - and incorporates the recommendations of the Law Society. In particular, the definition of terminal illness has been amplified and clarified, with the bill adopting the definition within the Palliative Care Act. The No 2 Bill also contains some changes related to the idea of 'informed choice,' specifying  “a deliberate, reasoned and informed choice,” as well as miscellaneous other, mostly cosmetic, changes. 

However, MP Bob Such has been quoted as saying that his latest euthanasia bill “almost realistically won’t pass.”

The South Australian parliament is now weeks away from its final sitting day before shutting down before the state election in March next year. This leaves only two days of opportunities for debate.

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