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
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
“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