Justice Committee to visit Regions for the End of Life Choice Bill
Monday 21 May 2018
Press Release: Justice Committee

The report back date for the End of Life Choice Bill has been extended to Wednesday, 27 March 2019. This is largely due to the record high number of submissions received on this bill. To date, the Justice Committee has processed 35,000 submissions.

“The Justice Committee intends to hear from all submitters who have asked to be heard”,says Committee Chairperson Raymond Huo.

Around 3,500 submitters, approximately ten percent of all those who have contacted the Committee, have asked to present their views in person.
To enable this to happen in the most convenient way for submitters, the Committee will conduct regional hearings in towns and cities across New Zealand.

“Hearing evidence in the regions will help ensure that as many individuals and community organisations as possible can present their views and that the Committee take account of all of the submissions in an open minded and balanced way”, says Raymond Huo.

“The very large number of carefully considered individual submissions reveals just how seriously New Zealanders take the potential change of law to allow euthanasia and assisted suicide. The Committee could not have done the submitters justice if we had refused to travel or hear everyone who asked to be heard. It was therefore essential we had the six month extension to allow us to give due consideration to the enormous task ahead of us”, says Committee Deputy Chairperson, Hon Maggie Barry.

The Committee starts public hearings in Wellington today, Monday, 21 May 2018.
Committee staff will be in touch with individuals and organisational submitters who wish to be heard, to assist them with times and locations.

Hearings will be advertised on the Parliament website and communicated to the public.

ENDS

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