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: Where are we now and where are we going?

By on January 21, 2016 Posted in General

What is the current status of physician-assisted dying in Canada? For most of Canada’s history, physician-assisted dying was a crime: sections 14 and 241(b) of the Criminal Code absolutely prohibited any person from assisting another person to commit suicide and provided that any person who violated this prohibition was liable to imprisonment for up to 14 … Continue reading