A bill that would legalise voluntary euthanasia has been launched by ACT leader David Seymour. The controversial issue is the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, following Wellington lawyer Lecretia Seales’ bid for the courts to rule in favour of assisted suicide. Seales died in June after a long battle with cancer. Just hours before she Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Death with dignity’
Bishops welcome terms of reference for Inquiry into Ending of Life
Friday, August 28th, 2015
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops have welcomed the Terms of Reference released by Parliament’s Health Select Committee for an investigation into ending a person’s life in New Zealand. The inquiry will look at the factors that contributed to a person wanting to end their life, as well as the experiences of other countries who have Read more
Remove doctors from decisions about dying – NZMA chair
Friday, July 17th, 2015
The Medical Association does not support doctors deliberately helping patients die, no matter the circumstances or law says New Zealand Medical Association chairman Stephen Child. He said that doctors should be removed from any process aimed at making decisions about dying. Doctors were not trained to kill people, were not equipped to determine whether a Read more
MPs to have an inquiry into voluntary euthanasia
Friday, June 26th, 2015
Announcing an inquiry into voluntary euthanasia on Wednesday, chairman of the health select committee, Simon O’Connor, said members were “ready to engage” on what was an “important conversation that needs to be had”. The inquiry will consider how best to involve the public and what questions and terms of reference need to be included, he Read more
Where do the parties stand on euthanasia?
Friday, June 12th, 2015
A petition due to be presented to Parliament could be the catalyst for a fresh debate on voluntary euthanasia. Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway says the End of Life Choice Society petition will be tabled at the first opportunity in Parliament and will go straight to a select committee. An editorial under the heading, the devil is in the Read more
Lecretia Seales: Wait for decision begins
Friday, May 29th, 2015A judge has reserved his decision on whether terminally ill Wellington lawyer Lecretia Seales gets the end she wants to her life. Seales returned to court for the final session of the third day of her court case, in which she seeks to end her life peacefully with the help of her general practitioner. Justice Read more
Geoffrey Palmer supporting assisted death application
Tuesday, May 26th, 2015Former Prime Minister, and constitutional lawyer Sir Geoffrey Palmer is supporting Lecretia Seales in her attempt to clarify the law in a way that would allow her GP to help her to die. Palmer was sitting with her family and friends in the jury box when the case began in the High Court in Wellington Read more
Cardinal Dew – Be informed about latest attempt to introduce euthanasia
Tuesday, March 31st, 2015In recent weeks a statement of claim has been filed in the High Court seeking a ruling to determine whether a GP can lawfully administer a lethal dose of drugs to a person who is terminally ill. Our bioethics agency, the Nathaniel Centre, is a member of the Care Alliance, which is an alliance of Read more
Euthanasia advocate – people should be allowed to return God’s gift
Tuesday, March 10th, 2015
The architect of voluntary euthanasia legislation in Holland is touring New Zealand saying if life is a gift from God then it may be returned by the owner. Dr Rob Jonquiere has spoken at several gatherings in New Zealand over the past two weeks. He was brought here by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New Read more
Acute shortage of palliative care specialists
Friday, November 14th, 2014
New Zealand is desperately short of palliative medicine specialists. “There will be a crisis in that workforce within five years unless something is done urgently to address the situation,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “Senior doctors providing end-of-life care tell us that 55 palliative medicine positions exist Read more