An editorial in the Seattle Times has expressed support for the decision of Jay Inslee of Washington State to direct the state health department to update its rules about health care provider ownership, facilities and services. The problem, in the Times view, is that about 1/3 of the state’s hospital beds are now in Catholic institutions, which refuse to provide abortion or assisted suicide, and that Catholic influence in the state is increasing. By the year’s end, according to the editorial, Catholic facilities may control half the hospital beds. “Concerns center on the possibility of patients losing access or referrals to the full range of legal reproductive and end-of-life services banned by religious doctrine.”
Category: Assisted suicide
Defiance of law predicted as Quebec moves toward legalization of assisted suicide
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the government of Quebec will introduce legislation to legalize physician assisted suicide in the province between 7 and 14 June, 2013. The draft bill is expected to assert that physician assisted suicide is a form of health care, and thus (under Canada’s constitutional division of powers) subject to provincial regulation, not the Criminal Code, a federal law that prohibits the procedures. Depending upon the wording of the bill, the proposed legislation could include euthanasia by physicians. Dr. Paul Saba of Physicians for Social Justice, a group that opposes the legislation, states that he will refuse to assist or refer any patient who asks for assisted suicide or euthanasia, regardless of the law or the policies of the Collège des médecins du Québec (Quebec College of Physicians), the state regulator of the practice of medicine. [CBC]
United Kingdom: Assisted Dying Bill (HL Bill 24)
The protection of conscience provision in a bill introduced in the House of Lords by Lord Falconer proposing to legalize assisted suicide.
Vermont: An act relating to patient choice and control at end of life
The following is the protection of conscience provision found in an assisted suicide
law. There is limited protection provided for health care facilities, which can prohibit their physicians from prescribing lethal medications for residents who wish to use them on their premises, but not from prescribing them for those who intend to use them elsehwere. [Protection of conscience provision]
Appeal hearing on legalization of physician assisted suicide
An appeal against the judgement of the BC Supreme Court in Carter v. Canada (which found in favour of physician assisted suicide and the judge ordered Canada to change the law to permit it) is now underway.
The following link provides a live-feed from the BC Court of Appeal and links to the factums filed by the parties and intervenors.