Tasmania reviews voluntary assisted dying laws amid rising demand

Tasmania is undertaking a review of its voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws following a substantial rise in demand for the service. The state's VAD legislation, which came into effect in 2022, has seen a marked increase in requests and completed assisted deaths over the past year.

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Those initial conversations [about VAD] were really difficult and confronting.

The VAD Commission's latest annual report indicates a 71% surge in the number of initial requests made to the regulatory body. Concurrently, reported voluntary assisted deaths rose by 73%, reaching 109 in the 2024-25 period. This growing demand has prompted the government to initiate an independent review of the existing legislation.

The review, led by a panel of experts including lawyer Kate Warner, end-of-life law expert Ben White, and palliative care specialist Michael Ashby, aims to evaluate whether the laws are functioning as intended and to pinpoint areas for enhancement. A final report is expected to be submitted to the government by November 1.

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But once she had the approval in place, it gave her a great sense of relief and agency in a situation where she had none.

While medical practitioners involved in VAD generally find the work rewarding, the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical Association has highlighted administrative and financial burdens. President Meg Creely noted that "legal access and practical access are not necessarily the same thing," pointing to the reliance on unpaid overtime and unrecognized work by health professionals. The review will also consider recommendations for better utilization of semi-retired medical practitioners who have expressed interest in part-time VAD work.

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What we hear from our members is that legal access and practical access are not necessarily the same thing.