No one shall be deprived of life except on such grounds as are established by law and are consistent with the principles of fundamental justice.
The right not to be deprived of life is about keeping people safe from unfair or arbitrary loss of life and making sure the government only allows life to be taken in very limited and justified situations.
This provision says no one can have their life taken away unless there is a clear legal reason for it, and that law must be consistent with the principles of fundamental justice.
This means the government has to respect and protect people’s lives, and any rules that allow someone to be killed cannot be arbitrary, but must be fair and reasonable.
This right is especially relevant to issues such as the use of force by police, self-defence laws, military actions, or healthcare decisions that could result in death.
The right to life is especially important when the government or police have the power to use force. For example, the New Zealand Police can only use lethal force if it is truly necessary to save someone’s life, and not just because someone refuses to follow orders. If someone dies while in police custody, the government has a duty to investigate what happened and ensure their death wasn’t caused by unfair treatment or neglect.
The right not to be deprived of life also applies in other situations. For instance, self-defence laws have to be fair so people aren’t punished for protecting themselves from serious harm. It can also affect healthcare decisions, by making sure risky treatments that might carry a risk to life are given with proper consent and care.