OTTAWA — Now is the time to urge Ottawa that people with disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia should be able to request medical assistance in dying before their cognitive decline, says the CEO of an influential group.
The government legislated a three-year pause after several provinces told the federal health minister their systems weren't ready to implement the policy. The province has said a Criminal Code change is still needed so doctors are not committing a crime, but Ottawa has not yet granted its request for an amendment.
The federal government introduced its initial assisted dying law in 2016 after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the previous year that adults with a"grievous and irremediable medical condition" have the right to an assisted death. But critics who testified before the special joint last fall said that wasn't long enough, as key questions about expanding eligibility still remained unanswered.
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