Physician-aided Dying in Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the focus of an article in the New York Times last week on physician-aided dying in Canada. Justin Trudeau Seeks to Legalize Assisted Suicide in Canada reports that a proposed law was introduced that would allow physician-aided dying  “for Canadian residents and citizens who have “a “serious and incurable illness,” which has brought them ‘enduring physical or psychological suffering.'”

Under Canada’s proposed law, people who have a serious medical condition and want to die will be able to commit suicide with medication provided by their doctors or have a doctor or nurse practitioner administer the dose for them. Family members and friends will be allowed to assist patients with their death, and social workers and pharmacists will be permitted to participate in the process.

The legislation follows a ruling by the Canadian Supreme Court which eliminated a criminal ban on physician-aided dying. A copy of that decision is available here.

One striking difference in the proposed legislation in Canada compared to those states in the U.S. where physician-aided dying is legal is that “a doctor or nurse practitioner [may] administer the dose for them. Family members and friends will be allowed to assist patients with their death, and social workers and pharmacists will be permitted to participate in the process.”

Not all in Canada are in favor of the legislation. CBC Canada ran a story,  Religious groups react to physician-assisted dying bill LIVE where a number of groups stated concerns about the legislation.  The video is available here.

If any of our readers are from Canada, we would be very interested in hearing more about the discussion in Canada on this proposal.