justice
Professor Sean Davison, a New Zealand-born scientist, has only one way to reveal his name to help a cancer-stricken mother take her life. It’s a change in parliamentary law.
Sean Davison will appear in Cape Town High Court tonight after sentenced to three years of house arrest for helping three South African men with severe disabilities take their lives.
At the court stage, New Zealanders are expected to tell the waiting media that they are free to continue their international campaign for the right to die with dignity.
But he is not completely free. He has a suspended sentence of another five years and will be returned to detention if he commits a recidivism. He will be seeking amnesty from the South African president.
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And decisively, there was a letter from New Zealand Governor Cindy Kiro waiting for him last night at a house in Cape Town, a suburb where he, his wife Rain and their three young children live.
She refused to apply for the King’s amnesty for his 2011 conviction that Dr. Patricia Davison, an elderly mother suffering from cancer, helped her die from an overdose of morphine.
“This is really the end of the amnesty journey in New Zealand,” he tells the newsroom today. “But I apply for an amnesty in South Africa. This can only be done after the judgment is over.”
Governor Alice Lopata wrote that the Minister of Justice advised the Governor that “giving amnesty to your case is constitutionally inappropriate.”
“The Governor’s Excellency considered and accepted the Minister’s advice,” Lopata wrote. “Therefore, the Governor refused to apply for an amnesty.”
It leaves Davison with only one slight hope: Congress may pass a law to eliminate criminal records like him who helped the suicide of a chronic or terminal loved one.The law is Criminal Record (Convicted of Historical Homosexual Crimes) Act 2018, which erased the record of a man convicted of historical conviction of gay sex.
In a 35-page report on Davison’s plea for amnesty, the Ministry of Justice commented on existing legislation that Congress had justified. According to Lopata, for rehabilitation or compassionate purposes, the convictions of certain classes of criminals will be revoked.
“If such legislation is considered to be a very compelling reason for the government to intervene in the criminal justice system to excuse a group of criminals, a constitutionally appropriate mechanism will be considered by Congress. Explained that it is to promote general application for. “
Joe Bennett, New Zealand’s sister, wasn’t surprised to see the Governor’s refusal to forgive him. “Chris Farfoy has revealed that assisted suicide requires very strict standards,” she said. “Shaun and Mama didn’t meet the criteria.
“In time, I believe Sean’s conviction will be wiped out, but the bill is still in its infancy. It’s very frustrating, but I understand.”
In 2018, Davison was deregistered from the New Zealand Medical Science Council after being convicted in both countries. That means he can’t work here in his profession.
“It limits Sean’s job opportunities in New Zealand, which he is worried about,” Bennett said. “I think he will find a job if he can get here. Most people sympathize with what he has experienced.”
In his new book, published this week, Davison shows that he and his family want to live and work elsewhere. He no longer feels welcome, indicating that police are investigating further accusations against him.
“I think the real concern at this point is what’s happening at the end of South Africa,” Bennett said. “I just want him!”
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