Our Aim

The aim of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New South Wales is to promote legislation which, with the proper safeguards, entitles any person suffering severe pain or distress, with no reasonable prospect of recovery, to a painless, medically assisted and dignified death in accordance with his or her expressed wish and direction.

Over decades our Society has shown itself to be an example of responsible and informed debate on this increasingly important issue for the Australian community.

We advocate decriminalising a medical procedure which is already happening covertly. We propose that voluntary euthanasia become a legally accepted and protected element in medical practice—an option for patients who want it and ask for it, and for doctors who are sympathetic and wish to participate.

VESNSW is an organisation that aims to influence government policy, legislation and judicial decision-making to allow those with a terminal illness to be able to choose a painless death.

Our activities:

We:

• supply our members with information about  their rights to refuse unwanted medical treatment
• publish a quarterly newsletter with articles about voluntary euthanasia and related subjects and information about both local and overseas events
• maintain a website with fact sheets, articles about voluntary euthanasia, up-to-date information about both local and overseas news, book reviews and updates on VESnsw news and events
• hold meetings so that our members can participate in the affairs of the Society
• make submissions to Royal Commissions, Federal and State Governments and parliamentary committees
• lobby parliamentarians with the aim of achieving law reform to allow medically assisted dying at the request of rational, informed, suffering adults
• speak to the media and to others, write letters to the Press, write articles and take part in seminars
• carry out a continuing public education programme to highlight the preventable suffering of individuals dying a lingering death while wishing for the option of voluntary euthanasia
• educate the public in the need for Advance Directives (Living Wills)
• inform the general public, professionals and students through media interaction, talking to community groups and sponsoring public lectures and workshops
• conduct opinion polls to highlight the overwhelming community support for legislative reform to permit voluntary euthanasia