Thursday, December 10, 2015

Assisted Dying is Officially Legal in Quebec

After a lengthy court battle, Quebec Health Minister, Gaetan Barrette, announced that as of today, it will be legal for terminally ill patients in Quebec to have medical assistance in dying.

Quebec is the first province to pass this controversial law, passed as Bill 52 the "An Act Respecting End-Of-Life Care."

As noted by Dominique Talarico, lawyer for the Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice the guidelines that physicians must adhere to are very specific (as set out in Bill 52):
"The law on end-of-life care sets out a patient's right to "receive the end-of-life care their condition requires" as well as raises the issue of medical aid in dying and a long list of requirements to be met before a doctor can administer it."
Many physicians, such as Dr. Amir Khadir, are relieved that the Quebec courts will now view medically assisted dying as a form of respect for patient dignity:
“Justice is done; patients who need medical aid to die will finally be able to receive it, to end their suffering and live their last moments in serenity.” 
- Rachel Spence, Law Clerk

Visit our Toronto Law Office website: www.wiselaw.net

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