In November, the End of Life Choice Act 2019 (EOLC Act) passed its third and final reading in Parliament after a two-year process. During this time the Justice Select Committee examined the largest number of submissions in New Zealand's legislative history, and during the 2020 general election, New Zealand voters will decide whether they support the Act or not through a binding referendum.
Read this paper "End of Life and a Referendum: So where are we up to?" by Rev Dr Graham O’Brien, Co-Chair InterChurch Bioethics Council, of which the Presbyterian Church is a member.
I 2018, following a decision by General Assembly, the Church announced that it does not support provision for euthanasia and medically-assisted suicide as proposed in the End of Life Bill. The Church believes that any legally-sanctioned provision for doctors to actively end people’s lives or assist them to die is ethically unacceptable and would in the long-term be dangerous for public safety - especially for those who are seriously ill, depressed, disabled or very elderly. Learn more