Conscience Rights for Physicians

In June of 2016 our Canadian Government passed Bill C-14, providing guidelines for medical assistance in dying (MAID). There were a number of safeguards set up in the initial iteration of this bill that some people have fought against, demanding more lenient elements to be incorporated into the bill. 

In Quebec, a Superior Court Judge recently deemed Bill C-14 “too restrictive” and struck down the requirement that a patient’s death be reasonably foreseeable in order to be eligible for MAID. As of March 21st the Senate has passed Bill C-7 and it has received Royal Assent. Euthanasia and assisted suicide will now be available to people who are not near death, and key safeguards have been removed.

However, Canadians can still advocate to protect the conscience of healthcare workers when there are requests for assisted death. See resources below that you can use to make your position known to your representative.  

• Take action by writing into your representative using this letter provided by Canadians for Conscience. 
• Read this blog written by a CRC doctor on the importance of engaging with this topic.  
• See other resources on this topic on the Centre for Public Dialogue's website.  

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