Dying with dignity

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The Federal government introduced a new and controversial law today spelling out the conditions in which seriously ill or dying Canadians may seek medical help to end their lives. While some were excited about what this new law means for people who are suffering, legal experts and activists are denouncing the bill for being too narrow and restrictive.

The group Dying with Dignity says they’re disappointed with the new law for doctor assisted dying, calling it ‘harsh’ and ‘discriminatory’ to those who won’t have the right to die. Within an hour of the bill being tabled, advocates of Dying with Dignity were laying out their concerns about those who were exempt.

The group critiqued the bill for banning three groups from requesting physician assisted death. The first, people who are not currently competent. Because the bill doesn’t allow for advanced requests, people who have been diagnosed with a degenerative illnesses like dementia or Huntington’s disease won’t be eligible. Second, anyone for whom a ‘death is not reasonably foreseeable’ this means even if a person is suffering from an illness without a cure, if there is no timeline for the death they would be exempt. And third, any mature minors, children under 18 would not be eligible even children suffering from a terminal illness.

Today’s reveal comes more than a year after the Supreme Court struck down Canada’s ban on assisted dying, ruling it violates the right to life, liberty and security of the person. But the bill was more restrictive than some expected. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled the law did not require a person’s condition to be terminal for them to request a doctor’s help to end their lives.

The group is now asking the government to review the bill and include those who were exempt before it goes into effect in June. In a recent poll conducted by Dying with Dignity, they found 80% of Canadians support ‘advance consent’ for assisted dying.