Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995

If a patient who has requested his or her medical practitioner to assist the patient to end the patient’s life is physically unable to sign the certificate of request, any person who has attained the age of 18 years, other than the medical practitioner or a medical practitioner or qualified psychiatrist referred to in section 7(1)(c), or a person who is likely to receive a financial benefit directly or indirectly as a result of the death of the patient, may, at the patient’s request and in the presence of the patient and both the medical practitioner witnesses (and where, in accordance with section 7(4) an interpreter has been used, also in the presence of the interpreter), sign the certificate on behalf of the patient.

A person who signs a certificate of request on behalf of a patient forfeits any financial or other benefit the person would otherwise obtain, directly or indirectly, as a result of the death of the patient.