Update on medical assistance in dying: Bill C-14

By on April 20, 2016 Posted in General

Update on Medical Assistance in Dying: Bill C-14 On April 15, 2016, the federal government responded to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Carter v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 SCC 5 by introducing Bill C-14 into the House of Commons for first reading. While Bill C-14 addresses many of the issues raised by the … Continue reading

Update on physician-assisted dying: A changing medical legal landscape

By Melissa Perry (CA) on March 7, 2016 Posted in General

On February 29, 2016, an Alberta woman suffering from amynotrophic lateral sclerolsis (“ALS”), became the first person in Canada to obtain a physician-assisted death. Four days prior to her death, Ms. S applied to the Alberta Court of the Queen’s Bench and successfully obtained an exemption from the Criminal Code prohibition on physician-assisted dying in … Continue reading

Physician-assisted dying part 3: Finding a balance between autonomy and access

By Melissa Perry (CA) on February 19, 2016 Posted in General

“Health institutions, including regional health authorities and other institutional providers (e.g. hospitals, hospices and long-term care facilities) are critical enablers of effective and equitable access to physician-assisted dying.” Provincial-Territorial Expert Advisory Group on Physician-Assisted Dying, Final Report, November 30, 2015, at 3. Part 2 of this series examined the implications of the decriminalization of physician-assisted … Continue reading