A new statutory body has been established ahead of euthanasia becoming legal in New Zealand in November. The Support and Consultation for End of Life in New Zealand group (SCENZ) is charged with maintaining and providing a list of medical practitioners and psychiatrists as part of the service when required. The 11-person group will “support Read more
Posts Tagged ‘End of Life Choice Act’
Expect legal action when assisted dying act comes into force
Monday, August 9th, 2021
New Zealand health officials are expecting legal action when the new End of Life Choice Act comes into force on 7 November this year. Ministry of Health officials have highlighted “complex and sensitive elements” to the End of Life Choice Act and incoming assisted dying regime in a briefing paper to Health Minister Andrew Little. Read more
Tough pastoral issue looming for NZ Bishops
Thursday, June 24th, 2021
The End of Life Choice Act will create a tough pastoral issue for New Zealand’s Catholic bishops says Bishop Patrick Dunn (pictured). The Act comes into force on 7 November. The big pastoral issue revolves around whether or not to give the last rites to people who choose assisted suicide or euthanasia. The last rites Read more
New Zealand doctors prepare for End of Life Choice
Thursday, November 5th, 2020
New Zealand doctors are getting ready to implement the End of Life Choice Act when it comes into force next year. Assisted dying will become legal from 6 November 2021. The preliminary referendum result at last month’s election shows 65.1 percent of voters supported the act and 33.8 percent opposed it. The New Zealand Medical Read more
Vote allowing assisted dying met with dismay
Monday, November 2nd, 2020
The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) and New Zealand’s Catholic bishops conference, Hospice New Zealand, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists have all expressed dismay at the vote allowing assisted dying. NZMA says it goes against medical values and is a “step too far” for many doctors. NZMA Read more
We are not voting on law about assisted death but on a dangerous law
Monday, October 12th, 2020
I am not writing to tell you how to vote in the binding referendum on the End of Life Choice Act, but I hope I can be of some help so you are better informed about the Act. Firstly, though, I want to help you think about the concepts of justice, love, compassion, mercy and Read more
A pseudo-religion claim to neutrality deeply foolish
Monday, October 5th, 2020
ACT leader David Seymour argues that those who oppose the End of Life Choice Act are doing so purely on religious grounds. He is ignoring the repeated clarification that this is not the case. However, that being said, there is another more fundamental issue; Seymour appears to belong to what Professor Robert George calls a Read more
David Seymour’s euthanasia attack bigotry at utmost
Monday, September 28th, 2020
A televised debate on the euthanasia referendum went septic when ACT leader, David Seymour accused Palliative Care Specialist, Dr Sinead Donnelly of basing her objections on religion, not facts. Donnelly and Seymour appeared on TV3’s Newshub Nation on Saturday morning. Donnelly said the proposed Act is a “dangerous law” that will put the lives of Read more
ACT leader David Seymour reminds Catholic Bishops of The Commandments
Monday, September 21st, 2020
ACT leader David Seymour, Wednesday, issued a reminder to the New Zealand Catholic Bishops to keep the Commandments. In a statement on the End of Life Choice Act, Seymour singled out New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops and told them they needed to follow the ninth commandment and to ‘stop bearing false witness against their neighbours in Read more
- Oregon Death with Dignight Act 2019 Data Summary (pdf)
- New Zealand Medical Association End of Life Choice Act Referendum Fact Sheet
- Hospice New Zealand - Euthanasia - our opinion
- Herx L, Cottle M, and Scott J. The “Normalization” of Euthanasia in Canada: the Cautionary Tale Continues. World Medical Journal
End of Life Choice Act will change the nature of our society
Monday, September 7th, 2020
John Kleinsman, director of The Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics – an agency of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, says the conference believes it is dangerous to implement any euthanasia law. But the conference specifically takes issue with the proposed End of Life Choice Act that is the subject of the impending referendum. “I think Read more