Euthanasia in Canada

Euthanasia in Canada in its legal voluntary form is called Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD, also spelled MAID) and it first became legal along with assisted suicide in June 2016 for those whose death was reasonably foreseeable. In March 2021, the law was further amended by Bill C-7 which to include those suffering from a grievous and irremediable condition whose death was not reasonably foreseeable. According to the Fourth Annual Report on MAID, there were 13,241 MAID deaths reported in Canada in 2022.^[1]

The intensity and breadth of Canada's MAiD program has led to condemnation of its program by UN human rights experts and disability rights groups in Canada.^[2] It has also been the subject of substantial international attention and criticism.^[3]^[4]^[5] Human rights advocates have criticized Canada's euthanasia laws for lacking safeguards, devaluing the lives of disabled people, prompting health workers and doctors to suggest euthanasia to people who would not otherwise consider it, and killing people who were not receiving adequate government support to continue living.^[2] In 2023, four medical specialists concluded in a study that "The Canadian MAiD regime is lacking the safeguards, data collection, and oversight necessary to protect Canadians against premature death."^[6]

^ "Fourth annual report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada 2022". www.canada.ca. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
^ ^a ^b Cheng, Maria (11 August 2022). "'Disturbing': Experts troubled by Canada's euthanasia laws". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
^ "As Bill C-7 reaches Senate, UN watchdog raises concerns about MAiD for persons with disabilities". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 February 2021.
^ Zhu, Yuan Yi (31 December 2022). "Most-read 2022: Why is Canada euthanising the poor?". The Spectator. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
^ "As assisted dying broadens, countries wrestle with new ethical lines". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
^ Coelho, Ramona; Maher, John; Gaind, K. Sonu; Lemmens, Trudo (18 July 2023). "The realities of Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada". Palliative & Supportive Care. 21 (5): 871–878. doi:10.1017/S1478951523001025. ISSN 1478-9515. PMID 37462416. S2CID 259948084.

[1] "Fourth annual report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada 2022". www.canada.ca. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.

[:3-2] Cheng, Maria (11 August 2022). "'Disturbing': Experts troubled by Canada's euthanasia laws". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 August 2022.

[:4-3] "As Bill C-7 reaches Senate, UN watchdog raises concerns about MAiD for persons with disabilities". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 February 2021.

[:5-4] Zhu, Yuan Yi (31 December 2022). "Most-read 2022: Why is Canada euthanising the poor?". The Spectator. Retrieved 8 March 2023.

[:6-5] "As assisted dying broadens, countries wrestle with new ethical lines". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 8 March 2023.

[&SC-1–8-6] Coelho, Ramona; Maher, John; Gaind, K. Sonu; Lemmens, Trudo (18 July 2023). "The realities of Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada". Palliative & Supportive Care. 21 (5): 871–878. doi:10.1017/S1478951523001025. ISSN 1478-9515. PMID 37462416. S2CID 259948084.

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