Chair
Wendy Aldred KC, Stout Street Chambers
Voluntary Assisted Dying: Unpacking the End-of-Life Choice Act (2019) and the Practical Implications
This session offers a comprehensive look at voluntary assisted dying in New Zealand under the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019. With insights from both legal and clinical experts, learn how the law operates in practice and the challenges faced by those navigating end-of-life decisions.
Presented by Nick Laing, Partner, Duncan Cotterill, and Dr Katie Ben, lead clinical advisor to the Assisted Dying Board Secretariat, and Specialist Anaesthetist, Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the legal framework and eligibility criteria under the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019
- Explore the practical and clinical implications of implementing voluntary assisted dying in healthcare settings
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD hour
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
Presenters
Nick Laing, Partner, Duncan Cotterill
Nick is a litigation lawyer, practising in civil and commercial litigation. Nick is also a medico-legal expert. Nick acts for health service providers and health practitioners alike in health practitioner discipline and negligence claims, including before the Coroner, Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, Health and Disability Commissioner, Privacy Commissioner and Ombudsmen. Nick also regularly advises on medico-legal aspects including duty of care, patient consent, privacy and treatment issues, and applied aspects of intensivist treatment. Nick advises health service providers with complex inquiries into patient care and treatment and has presented nationally on end-of-life care matters, including in relation to advance care planning and the End of Life Choice Act.
Wendy Aldred KC, Stout Street Chambers
Wendy is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer with a longstanding interest in health law. Admitted to the Bar in 1995, Wendy worked in private law firms in New Zealand and England and at Crown Law before joining the independent Bar in 2007. Wendy acts for a wide range of public and private sector clients. Her work in health law has included acting as counsel in disciplinary proceedings in the HPDT, applications for judicial review, public inquiries and Coroner’s inquests.
Dr Katie Ben, Lead Clinical Advisor - Assisted Dying Secretariat, Specialist Anaesthetist, Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough
Katie trained and qualified in anaesthesia in the UK. She moved to New Zealand in 2009 and has been a specialist anaesthetist in the Nelson region since moving here. She joined the Assisted Dying secretariat as Lead Clinical Advisor in June 2024, having been a provider of the service since 2022. Katie is passionate about providing equitable care for all patients regardless of geographical isolation and has obtained her private pilot’s licence to make the West Coast of the South Island more accessible.
