The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 (NT) was a controversial law legalising euthanasia passed by Australia's Northern Territory in 1995 and, for all practical purposes, nullified in 1997 by the federal Parliament. Dr Philip Nitschke, the first doctor in the world to administer legal, voluntary euthanasia, 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.
Read more about Rights Of The Terminally Ill Act 1995: Provisions of Act, Reaction To Act, Use of Act, Overturning of The Act
Famous quotes containing the words rights of the, rights of, rights, ill and/or act:
“The characteristic of the hour is that the commonplace mind, knowing itself to be commonplace, has the assurance to proclaim the rights of the commonplace and to impose them wherever it will.”
—José Ortega Y Gasset (1883–1955)
“Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of man?”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Don’t forget your great guns, which are the most respectable arguments of the rights of kings.”
—Frederick The Great (1712–1786)
“Books and marriage go ill together.”
—Molière [Jean Baptiste Poquelin] (1622–1673)
“It is difficult for one person to act a play.”
—Chinese proverb.