Wellington, New Zealand, Aug 4, 2017 / 10:39 am
A long-term inquiry submitted to New Zealand's parliament Wednesday did not recommend that assisted suicide and euthanasia be legalized in the country.
"We've tried to distil all the arguments and our recommendation to both the Parliament and the people of New Zealand is to read this report and come to a deeper understanding of what's been asked around assisted suicide and euthanasia," Simon O'Connor, chair of the parliament's health committee, which prepared the report, said Aug. 2.
The report was an investigation of euthanasia and assisted suicide and attitudes toward them, prompted by a request from former New Zealand Labour Party MP and assisted suicide advocate Maryan Street.
A bill to legalize voluntary euthanasia has been introduced in the New Zealand parliament, but it is unlikely to be passed before the end of the legislature's term later this month, according to the New Zealand Herald.