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Medical Assistance In Dying

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. 

Advocacy

Hospital

Advocacy

Use this letter to advocate for strong conscience protection in current legislation.
MAID

CRC Banner: Silence is Not An Option

(Bill) C-7 may well be a legal reality but it remains possible to encourage and support measures that prevent the need for assisted death.

Resources

Ontario Healthcare Workers Need Conscience Protection

Dr. Stephen Vander Klippe explains the importance of conscience rights for physicians.

After Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill, Canadian Evangelicals Reassess

Christianity Today: what to do now that this legislation has passed.

Interview with a Chaplain

We spoke with chaplain Tim De Jonge about his experience on the front lines of this issue.

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Disability Concerns Director Mark Stephenson addresses this topic in this blog.

Venturing into the Shallow End

Read this blog that details the history of this legislation in Canada and the concerns of advocates.

Chaplains Discuss Medical Assistance in Dying

Resources and suggestions from chaplains for engaging with this topic.

Worship

Prayer

A prayer for physician conscience rights. April 2021

Prayer

A brief prayer on the topic of MAiD that can be incorporated into your service. From January 2020

Prayer

A prayer and update from February 2021

Dig Deeper

For more information on why we have engaged with this issue read more on the sanctity of life and what the CRC believes at this link.

An advocacy brief summaries the policy issue at hand and offers specific stances and recommendations for creating good policy.  The Centre for Public Dialogue issued a brief in 2016 in response to proposed physician assisted death legislation.  

Read the brief here.