Category: Assisted suicide

Canada’s bishops allow Catholic hospitals to host consultations for euthanasia

LifeSite News

Lianne Laurence

OTTAWA, April 18, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Canada’s bishops were consulted on and agreed to secret guidelines by Catholic health sponsors that allow third-party euthanasia assessments of medically frail patients in Catholic health care facilities, LifeSiteNews has learned.

And while the Catholic health sponsors who drafted the guidelines in collaboration with ethicists and bishops concluded such assessments were not formal cooperation with evil, they failed to consider there are instances when material cooperation is gravely wrong, as is the case here, says Catholic moral theologian, Dr. E. Christian Brugger. . . [Full text]

Canadian protection of conscience bill progresses

David Anderson, M.P.

Two years ago, taking a patient’s life was culpable homicide. Although the law now permits physician assisted suicide, many doctors’ consciences will not. The Supreme Court of Canada has explicitly said that the legalization of euthanasia did not entail a duty of physicians to provide it.

However, regional associations have introduced regulations compelling conscientiously objecting physicians to provide effective referrals for physician assisted suicide, contravening this assurance. This happens, without any penalty.

I believe it’s time to stand up for doctors and health care providers who aren’t willing to leave their core ethics behind when they’re at a patient’s bedside. The protection of conscience rights for medical professionals is part of protecting the fundamental freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed to all Canadians in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Bill C-418 amends the Criminal Code to make it an offence to intimidate a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or any other health care professional for compelling them to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying.

It also makes it an offence to dismiss from employment or to refuse to employ a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or any other health care professional for the reason only that they refuse to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying.

I expect Bill C-418 will be debated on May 29, 2019.

Click below to view and download materials to spread the word about C-418 and build support for this important legislation:

Click here to download a copy of C-418 (EN/FR)

Click here to download an informational graphic on C-418 with tear-away letter to the Minister of Justice | Français

Click here to download a letter on C-418 which can be sent to your local Member of Parliament | Français

Click here to download a petition on C-418 | Français


No agreement and disappointment after lengthy End of Life Choice bill hearing

Stuff

Ruby Macandrew and Thomas Manch

It took 16 months, almost 40,000 submissions, and a nationwide tour of 14 cities.

The result was a report that found no agreement on whether the End of Life Choice Bill should be passed, made no substantive recommendations, drew few conclusions and disappointed those on both sides of a hard-fought debate.

Both advocates and opponents of the bill – which seeks to legalise voluntary euthanasia – have resumed their default positions for a familiar battle that will span months to come.

The report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, did not address any contentious aspects of the prospective law, with the eight Justice Select Committee MPs declining to “consider substantive policy issues on a conscience bill”. . . [Full text]

Assisted dying: Doctors’ group adopts neutral position

BBC News

Hospital doctors have dropped their 13-year opposition to the concept of helping terminally ill patients die.

Following a poll of its members, the Royal College of Physicians has now adopted a neutral stance on the issue of assisted dying.

Some groups have spoken out against the change, saying a respected medical body’s reputation has been damaged. Others called the decision “absurd”. . . [Full text]

Euthanasia rollout challenges Vic doctors

Daily Mail

Australian Associated Press

Doctors will have to ensure Victoria’s complex voluntary assisted dying laws don’t prevent eligible candidates from accessing the scheme.

It’s one of several legal and ethical challenges doctors will face when the country’s first euthanasia laws come into affect in June, experts have said.

“Translating this complex law into appropriate clinical practice will be challenging,” lead author Professor Ben White and colleagues said in an article published in the Australian Medical Journal on Monday. . .[Full text]