Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2004

Prohibited and regulated activities - Activities requiring approval of ethics committee - Moratorium for particular forms of assisted reproductive procedure or human reproductive research

24: Moratorium may be imposed on forms of assisted reproductive procedure or human reproductive research

You could also call this:

"The Government can temporarily stop certain fertility treatments or research for up to 18 months."

Illustration for Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2004

The Governor-General can stop certain kinds of assisted reproductive procedures or human reproductive research for up to 18 months. You might wonder why this happens - it is to give time for people to develop advice or guidelines about these procedures or research. This stop is called a moratorium and it can be extended for another 18 months if needed.

When a moratorium is put in place, a special committee must give the Minister information, advice, and recommendations about the stopped procedure or research by a certain date. The Minister and the committee agree on this date.

If the Governor-General makes an order to stop a procedure or research, it is considered secondary legislation - to learn more about what this means and how it is published, you can look at Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

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This page was last updated on 6 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM319332.

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23: If approval cancelled, activity must be stopped, or

"Stop the activity straight away if your approval is cancelled"

25: Committee must not consider applications for approvals subject to moratorium, or

"The committee can't approve some types of fertility treatments or research if they're currently banned."

Part 2Prohibited and regulated activities
Activities requiring approval of ethics committee: Moratorium for particular forms of assisted reproductive procedure or human reproductive research

24Moratorium may be imposed on forms of assisted reproductive procedure or human reproductive research

For the purpose of allowing time for the development of advice or guidelines, or both, about any kind of assisted reproductive procedure or human reproductive research, the Governor-General may, by Order in Council made on the recommendation of the Minister, declare a particular kind of assisted reproductive procedure or human reproductive research to be subject to a moratorium for a period not exceeding 18 months.
The Governor-General may, by Order in Council made on the recommendation of the Minister, extend a moratorium imposed under subsection (1) for 1 further period not exceeding 18 months.
After the imposition of a moratorium under subsection (1) on a form of assisted reproductive procedure or human reproductive research, the advisory committee must, by a date agreed with the Minister, provide the Minister with information, advice, and, if the committee thinks fit, recommendations on that form of procedure or research.
An order under this section is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

Notes

Section 24(4): inserted, on 28 October 2021, by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).