The City of Ottawa says it does not intend to challenge Quebec’s law that allows people to request medical assistance in dying (MAID) in advance.
Bill 11, adopted by the Quebec provincial parliament in June 2023, allows patients with serious and incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease to apply for physician-assisted death before their symptoms prevent them from consenting to physician-assisted death. This expanded access to MAID.
It also includes a clause protecting doctors from prosecution, as the City of Ottawa has not yet amended its criminal code to pre-emptively ban maid services.
Quebec will become the first Canadian province to begin accepting such requests on October 30th.
“The Government of Canada recognizes the work that the Government of Quebec has undertaken in implementing pre-requests and its interest in amending the Criminal Code to allow Quebec residents to make pre-requests. “Providing MAID on the basis of a prior request is not permitted and it remains a criminal offense to provide MAID on the basis of a prior request.” A news release from the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Justice, and the Attorney General states.
The federal government’s “national dialogue” on advance MAID requests will include formal consultations with all states and territories, roundtable discussions, and an online survey. The government says consultations will take place by January 2025, with a final report expected to be published next spring.
In a directive, Quebec’s public prosecutor’s office said: “It is not in the public interest to permit criminal charges or to permit private prosecutions in connection with deaths that occur in connection with medical assistance in dying. ” he said. , where an analysis of all the evidence establishes that care has been provided in accordance with the wishes expressed in a free and informed manner, taking into account the conditions set out in the end-of-life care legislation. ”
With files from The Canadian Press
