| Part of a series on |
| Euthanasia |
|---|
| Types |
| Animal · Child · Voluntary Non-voluntary · Involuntary |
| Views |
| Religious (Buddhist · Catholic) |
| Groups |
| Dignitas · Dignity in Dying Exit International |
| People |
| Jack Kevorkian · Philip Nitschke |
| Books |
| Final Exit The Peaceful Pill Handbook |
| Jurisdictions |
| Australia · Canada India · Mexico Netherlands · New Zealand Switzerland · United Kingdom United States |
| Laws |
|
Oregon Death with Dignity Act Washington Death with Dignity Act |
| Court cases |
| Washington v. Glucksberg (1997) Gonzales v. Oregon (2006) Baxter v. Montana (2009) |
| Alternatives |
| Assisted suicide Palliative care Principle of double effect Terminal sedation |
| Other issues |
| Suicide tourism Groningen Protocol Euthanasia device Euthanasia and the slippery slope |
Euthanasia is illegal in New Zealand and two attempts at passing legislation on legalised euthanasia failed to get through Parliament. It is also illegal to 'aid and abet suicide' under Section 179 of the New Zealand Crimes Act 1961 [1]
The controversial book The Peaceful Pill Handbook describing how to perform euthanasia was initially banned in New Zealand. Since May 2008 it has been allowed for sale to readers over eighteen years of age, if it is sealed and an indication of the censorship classification is displayed. In addition, author Philip Nitschke excised a section that dealt specifically with methods of suicide, which might otherwise have fallen afoul of Section 179 [2]
Contents |
Patients are able to withhold treatment if it may shorten their life and advance directives are recognised by law.
Right 7 of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights states:[3]
This code is enshrined in law under the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994.
The New Zealand Medical Association oppose voluntary euthanasia and doctor assisted suicide maintaining that it is unethical regardless of whether the patient or relatives wishes to have it carried out.[4]
A survey done by Massey University in 2003 showed that 73% wanted assisted suicide legalised if it was performed by a doctor but if done by others support drops to 49%. The wording of the questions were:
A survey carried out on behalf of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society in 2008 showed that 71% of New Zealanders want to have it legalised.[6] The question read:
The 2008 survey by Massey University gave similar results.[7]
The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, part of the Anglican Communion and the largest church in New Zealand, believes that euthanasia has a place in society.[8]
The Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand, the second largest church in the country, oppose euthanasia and consider that only God can take a human life. The Church also say that it is up to the patient, not the doctor, to withhold any medical treatment that may prolong an individuals life.[9]
The Salvation Army opposes euthanasia. They do not see it as "death with dignity" and say that individuals do not have the right to take their own life.[10]
Predominantly Roman Catholic New Zealand anti-abortion/pro-life organisations such as Voice for Life and Right to Life New Zealand are also opposed to decriminalisation of voluntary euthanasia or physician assisted suicide, although this has usually been subordinate to their opposition to abortion in New Zealand.
There have been two attempts to allow for legal euthanasia in New Zealand. In 1995 Michael Laws championed the unsuccessful Death with Dignity Bill, which aimed to legalise voluntary euthanasia. The terminal illness of Cam Campion, a colleague in Laws' first term in Parliament, prompted this advocacy. It failed by 61 votes against and 29 for the Bill.[11]
Peter Brown, when he was an MP for the New Zealand First political party, introduced a Death with Dignity Bill in 2003, but it was defeated by 60 to 57 votes.[12] Brown became an advocate for euthanasia after his wife died of cancer in 1984.
Lesley Martin received nationwide media coverage over the trial of the attempted murder of her mother. In her 2002 book To Die Like A Dog she revealed that she killed her mother due to the pain that she was suffering and was arrested shortly after its release. Martin was given a 15-month sentence[13] of which she served seven and a half months.
In a similar case professor Sean Davidson wrote his memoirs in the book Before We Say Goodbye published in 2009, documenting final days of his mothers life in 2006.[14] A leaked copy of an early manuscript of the book revealed that he offered his mother a dose of morphine to help end her life.[15][16] He was initially charged with attempted murder in 2011, but later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of inciting and procuring suicide. He was sentenced to five months home detention.[17]
The three main organisations lobbying for euthanasia in New Zealand are:
There are internal disagreements between Dignity New Zealand's Lesley Martin and Exit International's Philip Nitschke over the best way to provide voluntary euthanasia/physician assisted suicide for those who desire it. Martin favours the introduction of legislation and regulation to control assisted suicide while Nitschke promotes autonomy and individual choice and responsibility at the end of life irrespective of existing legislation. Similar divisions have occurred between organisations that sanction voluntary euthanasia/physician assisted suicide and Jack Kevorkian in the United States, over similar tactical and strategic questions.
GayNZ.com has run articles that question whether the aforementioned fragmentation of euthanasia reformists, coupled with their lack of professional allies and the opposition of the New Zealand Medical Association and other medical groups will hamper decriminalisation of voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide in New Zealand. This is based on analysis of the successful reform movements in the Netherlands and Oregon, where organised medical groups took a neutral stance on decriminalisation.[18]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||