Tasmania's former attorney-general and leader of the Upper House, Vanessa Goodwin, has died after a battle with cancer, aged 48.

Ms Goodwin was diagnosed with multiple brain tumours in March 2017.

A statement from the family said she passed away peacefully on Saturday afternoon, supported by family and friends at Hobart's Calvary St John's Hospital.

"We are devastated to lose such a loved and cherished member of our family," the statement read.

"Vanessa has approached the months since her diagnosis of brain cancer with a formidable strength that characterises how she lived her life.

She was fiercely intelligent, softly spoken, had a great empathy for others and was always in possession of a quiet dignity."

Loading

Dr Goodwin had a PHD in law and a masters in criminology.

She fell ill in last March and was subsequently diagnosed with multiple brain tumours.

Premier Will Hodgman, a life-long friend, announced a few days later she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and was not expected to recover.

It led to an outpouring of support from the public and parliamentarians alike.

It was little surprise Dr Goodwin became a politician.

Her mother was Tasmanian Liberal party stalwart Edyth Langham-Goodwin and a relative on her mother's side of the family, William McWilliams, was a federal and state politician.

And as a long-term friend of the current Premier, she was close to the Hodgman dynasty which included Will Hodgman's father, Michael, a former federal and state MP.

Dr Goodwin attended Hobart's St Michael's Collegiate Anglican school and graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Arts and Laws in 1993.

For Dr Goodwin, a career in crime prevention came before politics.

Dr Goodwin first stood for parliament in 2006. ( Supplied )

Her resume includes a PhD in law, a masters in criminology and more than 11 years with the Tasmania Police Department as a researcher and policy advisor.

A study into intergenerational crime in Tasmania co-authored by Dr Goodwin in 2011 found a mother's criminal history could have a strong influence on whether her children eventually turn to crime.

Dr Goodwin first stood for Parliament in 2006.

It took three years and three attempts before she was successful.

Vanessa Goodwin being sworn into Parliament in 2009. ( ABC News )

In a 2009 by-election, Dr Goodwin was elected as a Liberal in the Upper House seat of Pembroke on Hobart's eastern shore.

In her inaugural speech, Dr Goodwin noted the deep cynicism towards state politics in the community.

"As someone whose career has, until now, primarily been in aspects of justice, crime prevention and the law, I'm particularly keen to see Tasmania return to being a place where trust is restored in Government decision-making," she said.

"Without transparency and accountability, no government can be truly legitimate."

She acknowledged the support and encouragement of the current Tasmanian Governor Kate Warner, who was one of her PhD supervisors as integral to her studies.

Vanessa Goodwin at Walk 4 Brain Cancer at Dru Point, 17 November 2017 ( Supplied: W4BC Tasmania )

During her time in opposition, Dr Goodwin developed policies on prison reform and most controversially, a plan to abolish suspended sentences.

"All my career I have been interested in trying to rehabilitate offenders and make sure that they don't reoffend. To make sentencing more efficient and effective," she said.

Vanessa Goodwin and Will Hodgman on the hustings in 2014. ( ABC News )

After the Tasmanian Liberal Party's win in 2014, she was appointed Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Corrections and the Arts, as well as Leader of the Government in the Upper House.

Most recently she began an overhaul of Tasmania's prison service and courts system, after a number of prisoners were released prematurely.

Outside of politics she was a fitness enthusiast and well known for her strong work ethic, determination and persistence.

Her diagnosis of multiple brain tumours, the same condition her mother died of in 2016, prompted an outpouring of support.

Making the announcement at a media conference last April, Mr Hodgman was visibly shaken.

"Very shocking and distressing news for all of us who work with her, all of us who know her," he said.

"Our parents were best friends so I consider her one of my close friends and one of my most trusted and reliable workmates.

"Her colleagues love her to bits."

Vanessa Goodwin will be remembered by many as one of those who entered Parliament for all the right reasons.