New Zealand

Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003

174. Duty of health practitioners in respect of reproductive health services

Full Text

(1) This section applies whenever—

(a) a person requests a health practitioner to provide a service (including, without limitation, advice) with respect to contraception, sterilisation, abortion, or other reproductive health services; and

(b) the health practitioner has an objection on the ground of conscience to providing the service (a conscientious objection).

(2) When this section applies, the health practitioner must tell the person requesting the service at the earliest opportunity—

(a) of their conscientious objection; and

(b) how to access the contact details of another person who is the closest provider of the service requested.

(3) In subsection (2)(b), the closest provider is to be determined taking into account—

(a) the physical distance between the providers; and

(b) the date and time that the person has requested the service; and

(c) the operating hours of the provider of the service requested.