Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2004

Prohibited and regulated activities - Activities requiring approval of ethics committee - Designation and functions of ethics committee

28: Functions of ethics committee

You could also call this:

"What the ethics committee does to help make sure assisted reproduction is done fairly and safely."

Illustration for Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2004

The ethics committee has some important jobs. You need to know what they do. They consider and decide on applications for things like storing human eggs or embryos, and they make sure people follow the rules. They also look at applications for doing assisted reproductive procedures or research.

The committee keeps an eye on what has been approved and checks on the progress of any procedures or research being done. They talk to an advisory committee about important issues and send them reports. The ethics committee can also ask for help from anyone they think can assist them.

The Minister can give the committee other jobs to do by sending them a written notice. To help the committee do its job, the Director-General of Health must give them administrative support, which means helping them with things like paperwork and organisation.

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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=DLM319337.

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27: Designation of ethics committee, or

"The Minister chooses a committee to make ethical decisions about assisted reproduction and makes sure it has the right people and follows the rules."

29: Ethics committee must operate expeditiously and in accordance with guidelines of advisory committee, or

"Ethics committees must work quickly and follow the rules to help people have children."

Part 2Prohibited and regulated activities
Activities requiring approval of ethics committee: Designation and functions of ethics committee

28Functions of ethics committee

For the purposes of this Part, the ethics committee has the following functions:
to consider and determine applications for, and to give, change, and cancel in accordance with sections 10B to 10D, approvals under section 10A for extensions to the applicable period for the storage of a human in vitro gamete or a human in vitro embryo:
to consider and determine applications for approvals for the performance of assisted reproductive procedures or the conduct of human reproductive research:
to keep under review any approvals previously given and, without limitation, to monitor the progress of any assisted reproductive procedures performed or any human reproductive research conducted under current approvals:
to liaise with the advisory committee on general and specific matters relating to assisted reproductive procedures and human reproductive research and, without limitation, to forward to the advisory committee reports received under section 19(5) together with any comments or requests for advice that the ethics committee considers appropriate:
to consult with any persons who, in the opinion of the committee, are able to assist it to perform its functions:
any other functions that the Minister assigns to the committee by written notice.

For the purpose of assisting the ethics committee in the performance of its functions under this Part, the Director-General of Health must provide the committee with administrative support.

Notes

Section 28(1)(aa): inserted, on 16 October 2010, by section 8 of the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (Storage) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 117).