November 3 marks the beginning of the ACT's voluntary assisted dying scheme, making the territory the second-last Australian jurisdiction to legalise it.

There are some key criteria that a person must meet, if they wish to access the ACT's voluntary assisted dying scheme. A person must:

• Be 18 or older *Have lived in the ACT for the last 12 months (unless a residency exemption is granted).
• Have an advanced and progressive medical condition that is expected to cause death and is causing intolerable suffering
• Have decision making capacity at all stages throughout the process
• Be acting voluntarily and without coercion.

But, unlike other jurisdictions, the ACT's scheme does not require someone to have a diagnosed timeframe until death.