Why is a doctor who illegally killed a vulnerable patient not being held accountable?
Media Release 5 November 2026
Right to Life is opposed to assisted suicide and euthanasia which are intrinsically evil, they violate the fifth commandment of God , You shall not kill.
Right to Life commends Voice for Life for its defence of life and its comprehensive investigation of a complaint against a doctor who had killed a vulnerable patient without the required review and approval of Dr Kristen Good, the Registrar of Assisted Dying. The complaint from the Ministry of Health was recorded in the Registrar’s annual report for 2024.
Right to Life shares the concerns of Voice for Life that a doctor was able to terminate the life of a patient, without the legally required review, using expired lethal drugs prescribed for someone else, that were not required, and were required to be returned within 14 days. The Ministry of Health only became aware of this illegal killing after the patient was dead.
Right to Life commends the vast majority of doctors and nurses in New Zealand who faithfully support the God given inalienable right to life of every human being.
New Zealand has a small euthanasia workforce registered on the Ministry of Health’s SCENZ list. The workforce comprises 106 doctors and 15 nurse practitioners.
Right to Life believes that the legislative safeguards in the End of Life Choice Act 2019, were ignored and that serious violations were only discovered after a patient had their life terminated highlights the folly of our community supporting this law, that would empower doctors to kill their vulnerable patients with a lethal injection or assist in their suicide, under the guise that this was somehow “health care”.
Under the End of Life Choice Act 2019, a medical practitioner is only immune from criminal liability, if they fully comply with the statutory processes. A crucial component of this safeguard process is the review and final approval by the Registrar (Assisted Dying) before medication is administered.
If a doctor completely bypasses the Registrar's review, they lose the specific statutory protections offered by the Act. Technically, deliberately taking a human life without strict legal authorization falls under the definition of homicide (manslaughter or murder) under the NZ Crimes Act 1961.
Right to Life is disappointed that after fully investigating the killing of this patient, the Police decided that no action was necessary. The Police determined that it was “not in the public interest to lay charges” in this case.
Right to Life commends Voice for Life, for investigating the killing of this patient with Official Information Act requests, with the New Zealand Police, the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC), and the Medical Council of New Zealand.
Right to Life is also disappointed that the Medical Council has refused to inform the community why the doctor concerned in this event was not charged and required to appear before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
Right to Life is aware that the Ministry of Health stated in September 2026 that it was still considering what further action it might take as it considers that the matter is not closed.
It is expected that in the near future, our Parliament will be considering amending the End of Life Choice Act, with the object of making euthanasia and assisted suicide more accessible.
If we allow the termination of the lives of vulnerable patients without the review and approval of the Registrar of Assisted Dying, we will see more illegal terminations of vulnerable patients.
Right to Life remains committed to campaigning for the repeal of the End of Life Choice Act and the full State funding of palliative care in New Zealand.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life New Zealand Inc.
