Key facts
- High Court struck down regulations banning new puberty blocker prescriptions for adolescents.
- Justice Dale La Hood found the measures were made unlawfully and constituted unjustified discrimination.
- Regulations introduced in late 2025 barred new patients under 18 from receiving the drugs.
- The government failed to meet consultation obligations under the Medicines Act, according to the judge.
- The Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) brought the judicial review.
New Zealand's High Court has struck down regulations that banned new prescriptions of puberty blockers for adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria. Justice Dale La Hood ruled on Wednesday that the measures, introduced in late 2025, were unlawful and constituted unjustified discrimination.