Oct. 17 2020 – New Zealand Votes to Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Adults

According to preliminary results, more than 65% of New Zealanders voted in favor of legalizing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults. Official results will be announced on Nov. 6, 2020 and the law will take effect in Nov. 2021.

The law will only apply to citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand over the age of 18 who are terminally ill with 6 months to live. The person must be in an “advanced state of irreversible decline in physical capability” with “unbearable suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner that the person considers tolerable.” The patient must also be able to make an informed decision about assisted death.