Ethical Review in New Zealand

System Overview

Overview of New Zealand’s system of ethical review, including the seven ethics committees and the Ministry of Health

• New Zealand’s regional ethics committees
• Multi-region Ethics Committee
• Ministry of Health’s role

New Zealand’s regional ethics committees

Ethical review of health and disability research in New Zealand is carried out by seven health and disability ethics committees.

Six of the seven ethics committees are regional, and consider applications for research that is to be carried out entirely within just one of New Zealand's four ethics committee regions.

• The Northern region is serviced by two ethics committees - the Northern X Regional Ethics Committee and the Northern Y Regional Ethics Committee.
• The Central region is serviced by the Central Regional Ethics Committee.
• The Upper South region is serviced by two ethics committees - the Upper South A Regional Ethics Committee and the Upper South B Regional Ethics Committee.
• The Lower South region is serviced by the Lower South Regional Ethics Committee.

Multi-region Ethics Committee

The Multi-region Ethics Committee considers applications for research that is to be carried out in more than one of the four ethics committee regions.

Ministry of Health’s role

The Ministry of Health is the primary agent of the Minister of Health. The Minister established health and disability ethics committees under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 (www.legislation.govt.nz).

The Ministry of Health is involved with health and disability ethics committees in an administrative capacity. The Ministry:

• employs the committee Administrators and the National Co-ordinator of Ethics Committees
• provides other administrative resources for the committees.

The Ministry of Health has no input into the decision-making processes of the health and disability ethics committees and does not comment on individual research applications.

Page last updated: 13 December 2007