New South Wales Bills

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]


This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA TRIAL (REFERENDUM) BILL 2003




                               New South Wales




Voluntary Euthanasia Trial
(Referendum) Bill 2003


Contents

                                                                             Page
                 1   Name of Act                                                2
                 2   Commencement                                               2
                 3   Referendum must be held                                    2
                 4   Referendum question                                        2
                 5   Date of referendum and persons entitled to vote            2
                 6   How vote taken                                             2
                 7   "Yes" and "no" cases to be published                       3
                 8   Regulations                                                4




b03-956-18.p02
                         New South Wales




Voluntary Euthanasia Trial
(Referendum) Bill 2003

No      , 2003


A Bill for

An Act to provide for a referendum in relation to a legally and medically
supervised trial of voluntary euthanasia for a period of 18 months.
Clause 1          Voluntary Euthanasia Trial (Referendum) Bill 2003




                                                                                         1
The Legislature of New South Wales enacts:
                                                                                         2
 1    Name of Act
                                                                                         3
               This Act is the Voluntary Euthanasia Trial (Referendum) Act 2003.
                                                                                         4
 2    Commencement
                                                                                         5
               This Act commences on the date of assent.
                                                                                         6
 3    Referendum must be held
                                                                                         7
               A referendum must be held to determine whether the people of New
                                                                                         8
               South Wales approve of the enactment of legislation permitting a
                                                                                         9
               legally and medically supervised trial of voluntary euthanasia for a
                                                                                        10
               period of 18 months.
                                                                                        11
 4    Referendum question
                                                                                        12
               The following question is to be submitted to the persons entitled to
                                                                                        13
               vote at the referendum:
                                                                                        14
               Are you in favour of the Parliament of New South Wales passing
                                                                                        15
               legislation that provides for a legally and medically supervised trial
                                                                                        16
               of voluntary euthanasia for a period of 18 months?
                                                                                        17
 5    Date of referendum and persons entitled to vote
                                                                                        18
         (1)   The referendum under this Act is to be held on the day on which
                                                                                        19
               ordinary elections of councillors for an area are next held under
                                                                                        20
               Part 4 of Chapter 10 of the Local Government Act 1993.
                                                                                        21
         (2)   The persons entitled to vote at the referendum are the electors who
                                                                                        22
               are qualified to vote at those elections.
                                                                                        23
         (3)   The Governor is to issue a writ for the referendum accordingly.
                                                                                        24
 6    How vote taken
                                                                                        25
         (1)   Subject to this Act, the vote at the referendum is to be taken under
                                                                                        26
               and in accordance with the Referendum Act.
                                                                                        27
         (2)   For the purposes of the application of the Referendum Act to the
                                                                                        28
               referendum under this Act:
                                                                                        29
               (a) a reference to the submission of a Bill to a referendum is to be
                                                                                        30
                     construed as a reference to the submission of the question set
                                                                                        31
                     out in section 4 to a referendum, and




Page 2
Voluntary Euthanasia Trial (Referendum) Bill 2003                     Clause 7




                                                                                       1
              (b)   the Governor is not required to attach any material to the writ
                                                                                       2
                    for the referendum, and
                                                                                       3
              (c)   the provisions of the Referendum Act apply with such
                                                                                       4
                    modifications as are necessary to enable the referendum
                                                                                       5
                    referred to in section 3 to be held (including modifications to
                                                                                       6
                    the Forms set out in the Second Schedule to the Referendum
                                                                                       7
                    Act), and
                                                                                       8
              (d)   any other modifications prescribed by the regulations have
                                                                                       9
                    effect.
                                                                                      10
       (3)   In this section, Referendum Act means the Constitution Further
                                                                                      11
             Amendment (Referendum) Act 1930.
                                                                                      12
  7   "Yes" and "no" cases to be published
                                                                                      13
       (1)   In this section, approved case means:
                                                                                      14
             (a) a document containing an argument in favour of an
                                                                                      15
                    affirmative answer to the referendum question, consisting of
                                                                                      16
                    not more than 2,000 words, that is authorised by a majority of
                                                                                      17
                    those members of Parliament who voted for the Bill for this
                                                                                      18
                    Act and desire to forward such an argument, or
                                                                                      19
             (b) a document containing an argument against an affirmative
                                                                                      20
                    answer to the referendum question, consisting of not more
                                                                                      21
                    than 2,000 words, that is authorised by a majority of those
                                                                                      22
                    members of Parliament who voted against the Bill for this Act
                                                                                      23
                    and desire to forward such an argument.
                                                                                      24
       (2)   If an approved case is forwarded to the Electoral Commissioner
                                                                                      25
             within 4 weeks after the commencement of this Act, the Electoral
                                                                                      26
             Commissioner is to ensure that a copy of that document is published
                                                                                      27
             in 2 or more newspapers circulating in New South Wales on each
                                                                                      28
             day of the 14 days (or such period as may be prescribed by the
                                                                                      29
             regulations) immediately before the date of the referendum.




                                                                           Page 3
Clause 8      Voluntary Euthanasia Trial (Referendum) Bill 2003




 8    Regulations                                                                1

                                                                                 2
           The Governor may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act,
                                                                                 3
           for or with respect to any matter that by this Act is required or
                                                                                 4
           permitted to be prescribed or that is necessary or convenient to be
                                                                                 5
           prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.




Page 4


 


[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]