Court rejects euthanasia request

New Zealand's High Court refused on Friday a bid by a brain cancer patient to allow doctors to assist terminally ill patients to end their lives, just hours after the applicant died.

Lawyer Lecretia Seales, 42, had asked the court to declare that she had a right to end her own life and that her doctor should not be prosecuted for helping her.

"The complex legal, philosophical, moral and clinical issues raised by Ms Seales' case can only be addressed by parliament passing legislation to amend the effect of the Crimes Act," Judge David Collins said in a written judgment.