Canada to consider allowing euthanasia requests to be made in advance

Canada Health Minister Mark Holland has announced that the government will “launch consultations” this fall to determine whether or not to further expand the country’s already-lenient Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) to include advanced requests for euthanasia made by individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Currently, requesting euthanasia in advance is illegal — a fact Holland stressed — and the fact that the government is even considering allowing it reflects a troubling sympathy towards a change that could potentially allow someone to be euthanized against their will after they lose the ability to make decisions for themselves.

“What we’re saying very clearly is that this is an incredibly difficult issue, that we need to take the time to have a national conversation that includes our provincial and territorial colleagues, that where these lines are drawn and whether or not the system is ready is a very important step,” Holland said Monday. “This continues to be illegal in this country, that if you act on an advance request, the Criminal Code is very clear that that is not legal.”

Though advanced request assisted death is illegal nationwide, the province of Quebec last month approved euthanasia as long as the patient has signed an advanced directive. Quebec officials asked the provincial Crown prosecutor’s office not to prosecute doctors who utilize these advance directives to kill patients, and Holland conceded saying, “[It] is the responsibility of the provinces to pursue violations of the Criminal Code.”

READ: They pushed for legal euthanasia in Canada. Now they say it’s being abused.

“It’s extremely important to say that we have a spirit of co-operation here, that the issue that Quebec raises is a legitimate and fair issue,” he said.

Allowing a patient to request euthanasia in advance removes the requirement for active consent — a significant safeguard meant to ensure that assisted suicide and euthanasia laws aren’t being abused. There have been many stories of people who thought they wanted assisted death in the future, only to later change their minds when their circumstances changed. With an advance request in place, a person could be euthanized even if they no longer wish to die.

According to The Canadian Press, the consultations will begin this month and are scheduled to end in January; a final report will be released in the spring.

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