Trudeau hints at tighter limits on assisted dying
May exclude those with mental illnesses
Looming government legislation on physician- assisted dying may be limited to competent adults and exclude people with dementia, other mental conditions and minors, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Trudeau hinted the government might reject recommendations by a special joint parliamentary committee to extend the controversial practice to “mature minors” under 18 and those with advancing dementia who want to pre-arrange their deaths.
“We know that this is an issue that touches Canadians and their families deeply,” Trudeau said. “As Liberals, we stand to defend individuals’ rights but we also need to make sure we’re protecting the most vulnerable and any legislation that we put forward will be based on that.”
His comments follow public opinion polls suggesting a majority of Canadians do not want doctor- assisted death granted to people with mental illnesses and psychological suffering.
A Nanos Research poll of 1,000 adult Canadians this week also found 58 per cent oppose assisted dying for 16- and 17- year- olds. But an Angus Reid survey of 1,517 Canadian adults last week found 58 per cent supported assisted suicide to terminally ill teens under 18.
The Canadian Press, citing an unnamed source, reported Friday the proposed legislation is expected to stipulate that only competent adults should be eligible to receive a doctor’s help to end their lives.
It also will not allow people di agnosed with competence- impairing conditions such as dementia to make advance requests for medical help to die, the source was quoted as saying.
Nor will it include mature minors, to whom the committee majority recommended extending the right to choose assisted death within three years.
A dissenting report by some of the parliamentary committee’s Conservative members said such a move would contravene last year’s Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the Carter case. It declared Canadians have a constitutional right to arrange t heir deaths with physicians, provided they are “competent adults who clearly consent to die and have grievous and irremediable medical conditions that cause enduring and intolerable suffering.”
The much- anticipated legislation must be enacted by June 6, when the existing law against physician-assisting dying will cease to be valid.
The bill, which could be introduced in the House of Commons as early as next week, must realign existing criminal laws against assisted suicide and culpable homicide to reflect the court’s unanimous j udgment, which also exempted willing doctors from criminal liability for helping eligible Canadians to die.
But the court left it to the federal and provincial governments to devise, if they wish, a regulated assisteddying regime that conforms to the judgment. Quebec, which has been examining the issue for years, is the only jurisdiction so far to enact comprehensive regulations.
Trudeau said Friday: “I’m very optimistic that we’re going to be able to meet the deadline imposed by the Supreme Court while having a fulsome, responsible debate that involves the voices that need to be heard on this issue.”