Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Euthanasia and assisted suicide were legalized in New Zealand in November 2021. The law allows doctor administered death (euthanasia) and self-ingestion (assisted suicide).
The 2026 report indicated that 460 of the 486 assisted deaths were carried-out by the doctor (euthanasia) which was up from 450 of the 472 assisted deaths being carried-out by the doctor (euthanasia) in 2025.
On November 11, 2025 I reported that New Zealand MP Todd Stephension introduced - The End of Life Choice Amendment Bill, a private members bill to expand the New Zealand assisted dying law.
What would the New Zealand euthanasia expansion bill (among other things) do?
- Amends the definition of who can do euthanasia by changing the terminology from attending medical practitioner to attending practitioner.
- Changes the terminal illness requirement to a person who has been diagnosed with a condition that is advanced, progressive, and, either on its own or in combination with 1 or more other diagnosed conditions, is expected to cause death. (Expected to cause death is not the same as a terminal illness with a 6 month prognosis).
- Eliminates conscience rights by forcing a medical practitioner to refer a person to the assisted dying service when they have received a request for assisted dying.
The New Zealand government may follow Canada's lead with plans to expand euthanasia to people who are not terminally ill. In fact the bills definition of who qualifies to be killed can be interpreted wide enough to include most people with disabilities.
In October 2020, New Zealand voters supported euthanasia based on specific legalization legislation. The law has only been in place since November 2021 and now there is a push to expand the legislation.
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