9 Aug 2012
RIGHT TO LIFE NEW ZEALAND INC v THE ABORTION SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE SC 73/2011
- Citation
- RIGHT TO LIFE NEW ZEALAND INC v THE ABORTION SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE SC 73/2011
- Court
- Supreme Court
The Supreme Court (majority) held that the Abortion Supervisory Committee's statutory role is one of general oversight: it may require anonymised reports and make generalised inquiries into consultants' caseloads and practices to ensure consistent administration and to report to Parliament, but it may not investigate or review the clinical decision‑making in individual cases or call into question the lawfulness of particular authorisations; s 36 supports generalised but not case‑specific intrusive inquiries (while a minority held the Committee may, when reasonably necessary, seek information…