An Examination of the Reasons for the Failure of The Mental Defectives Amendment Bill 1928 in New Zealand

Abstract

The eugenics movement emerged in various countries from the late 1800s to the 1940s, and the Mental Defectives Amendment Bill 1928 was the high point in the history of the eugenics movement in New Zealand, the first and last time that the highest goal of the eugenics movement in New Zealand was included in the provisions of the bill, the sterilization, but the sterilization provision was ultimately forced to withdraw due to the contradictions of various parties, resulting in the ultimate failure of the Amendment Bill 1928. However, the sterilization provision was eventually withdrawn due to conflicts between different parties, leading to the failure of the Amendment Bill 1928. This paper analyzes the reasons for the failure of the Amendment Bill 1928, in order to get a glimpse of the basic map and direction of New Zealand’s social history at the beginning of the twentieth century.