Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 11. The effect of the law was nullified in 1997 by the federal Parliament of Australia which passed the "Euthanasia Laws Act 1997". The Act continues on the Territory's statute books. Dr Philip Nitschke founded Exit International in response to the overturning of the Act. While voluntary euthanasia had previously been condoned officially in the Netherlands and the US state of Oregon, the act was the first time that a legislative assembly passed a law explicitly legalising euthanasia. The Act allowed a terminally ill patient to end their life with medical assistance, either by the direct involvement of a physician
Human rights in Belgium they cannot afford it), and to appeal. A Council of Europe report issued in 2005 expressed concern about “the lack of fundamental safeguards” in Belgium “against ill-treatment in police custody.” It was recommended that Belgium adopt legislation to improve the situation, “especially to ensure the detainees’ right of access to a lawyer.” The Council of Europe has also complained about the “excessive length” of certain judicial proceedings in Belgium. In 2009 the ECHR “found five violations of the right to a fair trial, two violations for the length of proceedings, one violation of the right to liberty and safety, one