News Release<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For immediate release<\/p>\n\n\n\n Introduced on 18 March in the provincial legislature, the Alberta Government\u2019s Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act<\/a><\/em>, will provide the framework for Alberta\u2019s provision of euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS: known in Canada as \u201cMedical Assistance in Dying\u201d\/MAiD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bill makes no reference to conscience. Nonetheless, it appears to offer substantial protection for health care practitioners and health care facilities by formally recognizing their freedom to refuse to collaborate in killing patients or helping patients kill themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn this respect, Bill 18 seems to deliver on assurances given to the Supreme Court of Canada by the late Joseph Arvay,\u201d said Sean Murphy, Administrator of the Protection of Conscience Project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joseph Arvay led the constitutional challenge that ended the absolute prohibition of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe title of Bill 18 reflects what Mr. Arvay told the Supreme Court of Canada,\u201d explained Murphy. \u201cHe believed that physicians were ideal euthanasia practitioners because, in his words, \u2018[I]t is an irrefutable truth that all doctors believe it is their professional and ethical duty to do no harm.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which means, in almost every case, that they will want to help their patients live, not die. It is for the very reason that we advocate only physician assisted dying and not any kind of assisted dying because we know physicians will be reluctant gatekeepers, and only agree to it as a last resort.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cMr. Arvay assured the Supreme Court of Canada that physicians would only agree to euthanasia as a \u2018last resort,\u2019\u201d said Murphy. \u201cSo far, Alberta\u2019s government seems to be the only one in Canada willing to make that a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is important not only for practitioners who object to euthanasia and assisted suicide in principle, but for EAS practitioners who may be unwilling to collaborate in the procedures in particular cases,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd, if we accept Mr. Arvay\u2019s reasoning, it is equally important for the protection of patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Protection of Conscience Project does not take a position on the acceptability of morally\/ethically contested services like EAS. It is reviewing the text of Bill 18 with a view to making a submission to the Alberta government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact:<\/strong> Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Alberta\u2019s Bill 18 in light of assurances to Supreme Court of Canada News Release For immediate release Protection of Conscience Project Introduced on 18 March in the provincial legislature, the Alberta Government\u2019s Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, will provide the framework for Alberta\u2019s provision of euthanasia and assisted suicide … Continue reading “Freedom to refuse euthanasia relevant to protection of practitioners, institutions – and patients”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Carter v Canada (Attorney General)<\/em>, 2015 SCC 5, [2015] 1 SCR 331 (Oral argument, Appellant), Supreme Court of Canada (SCC), \u201cWebcast of the Hearing on 2014-10-15<\/a>\\\" (22 January, 2018) at 00:20:03 to 00:20:40. \",\"id\":\"63c68742-1c87-4b5a-b9fa-cf2065055ea1\"}]"},"categories":[77,32,162,10,3403,760],"tags":[4132,4131,4117],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-11024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assisted-suicide","category-canada","category-euthanasia","category-news-releases","category-project-news-releases","category-proposed-laws","tag-alberta-bill-18","tag-assisted-suicide","tag-euthanasia"],"yoast_head":"\r\nProtection of Conscience Project<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Sean Murphy, Administrator
Protection of Conscience Project
protection@consciencelaws.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n