“The current law may not be perfect but it provides a clear bright line. Moving the bright line of prohibition would create far more problems than it would ever solve.” This was the conclusion of the oral submission made by Dr John Kleinsman to the Health Select Committee on behalf of the The Nathaniel Centre, Read more
The family of a depressed New Zealand man who committed suicide in Sydney have expressed alarm over the ease with which he was able to order and import lethal drugs using information from a pro-voluntary euthanasia group. The drug used is believed to be the same one involved in a police investigation in New Zealand Read more
Recently, a lady told me that she had just lost her brother who died suddenly, three days after a fall on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, the circumstances of his death leave some doubt as to the exact cause of death. Is it due to his cancer, discovered a few days earlier? Is it related to his Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has spoken out in opposition to assisted suicide in an oral submission to the Health Select Committee looking into attitudes towards euthanasia. Drawing on its experiences working with disempowered communities in New Zealand and abroad, the social justice agency highlighted the issue of powerlessness as a major concern in the debate Read more
Cheap assisted suicide drugs were offered to a mother of four instead of chemotherapy. The Californian woman – Stephanie Packer – has a terminal illness and her insurance company denied coverage for the chemotherapy her doctors recommended. Instead, it would cover end-of-life drugs for just $1.20. The insurance company initially said they would cover the Read more
Two elderly Wellington women with suicide drugs have been pounced on by police, who are conducting a national operation thought to be targeting a euthanasia group. Police have confirmed a Lower Hutt woman was arrested and faces two charges of importing a class C drug as part of an “ongoing investigation”. It is understood a second elderly woman was Read more
New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission has given the “orange light” to assisted suicide. However, it say the government should proceed with caution and only if strict safeguards are in place. The Commission recommends an opt out clause for medical staff and pharmacists who do not want to take part in the process should assisted suicide Read more
Euthanasia approval for a terminally ill Belgian 17-year-old makes him the first minor to be helped to die in Belgium. Age restrictions on euthanasia requests were removed in Belgium two years ago. The head of the country’ federal euthanasia commission Wim Distelmans said the teenager was “suffering unbearable physical pain”. “Fortunately there are very few Read more
Seeking euthanasia may result Catholics being denied sacraments, say some Canadian bishops. While the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia in Canada does not alter the truth that these acts are “gravely immoral,” it is “foreseeable” that priests will receive requests for the sacraments from Catholics contemplating these actions, the Alberta and NWT bishops stated Read more
Right to Life is opposed to the law being changed to allow doctors to kill their patients or assist in their suicide. Right to Life is a “whole of life” pro-life organisation, meaning we seek to uphold the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death. The United Nations Declaration of Human Read more