Western Australia is on the brink of becoming the second state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying, with its Upper House passing the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2019 (WA).

A total of 55 amendments to the initial version of the Bill were passed. The Bill will return to the Lower House next week to review the amendments.

If these amendments are ratified as expected, WA will follow the historic introduction of voluntary assisted dying in Victoria, where the option has been available since June 2019.

WA Premier Mark McGowan announced the government’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill in August 2019.