- LETTER FROM SENATOR THE HON. CHRISTOPHER ELLISON 14/03/06 -
SENATOR THE HON. CHRISTOPHER ELLISON
Minister for Justice and Customs
Senator for Western Australia
Manager of Government Business in the Senate
vlCO6/l 134, MCO6/1680 and MCO6!1840
14 MAR 2006
Dear Ms Walsh
Thank you for your letters dated 6 January 2006 to Federal Ministers concerning the commencement of the offences contained within the Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide Related Material Offences) Act 2005. I am responding to your letters as I have portfolio responsibility for these offences.
I seek to reassure you that the new legislation does not penalise people for the discussion of the sensitive issues of euthanasia and suicide.
The provisions in this Act restrict the transmission of a very limited amount of material currently in the public domain. While suicide is legal in Australia, the Australian Government has determined that material that is intended to be used to promote or provide instruction on a particular method of suicide or to counsel or incite committing or attempting to commit suicide should not be readily accessible. The purpose of these offences is to protect individuals who may be vulnerable and, in a distressed state, access a carriage service, such a he Internet, to research and chat about suicide.
The Act will not prevent people from talking about the issues of euthanasia or suicide. Nor will the offences in this Act capture individuals who are researching material for personal reasons on how to commit suicide. The Government has taken the view that the need to protect vulnerable and impressionable young people is of primary concern in this difficult and sensitive area. These offences are aimed only at those individuals who access or distribute this material with the intention of using it to counsel or incite suicide or provide instruction or particular method of committing suicide.
The Australian Government respects every person’s right to live their life with dignity and with freedom of choice. However, this Government does not support those people who would seek to persuade or pressure the vulnerable members in our community to end their own life.
The Act is consistent with existing State and Territory laws which make it an offence to counsel, aid or procure another person to commit suicide. These offences also capture personal communications by way of email or telephone.
Yours sincerely
CHRIS ELLISON
senator for Western Australia
If you cannot see the menu, click here for an alternate menu