The legislation on doctor-assisted dying will be voted on by the House of Commons at the end of May but then will be sent to the Senate.

The legislation on doctor-assisted dying will be voted on by the House of Commons at the end of May but then will be sent to the Senate.
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Assisted dying law not likely to pass in time

It now looks like the government’s attempt to push through legislation on doctor-assisted dying will fail to meet a June 6th deadline set by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The proposed law has been called too restrictive by advocacy groups and medical associations and a recent court decision found it does not comply with a landmark Supreme Court decision on doctor-assisted death.

Bill is ‘so narrow, so restrictive’

“This bill is really just for people who are imminently dying, people who are terminally ill,” said Shanaaz Gokool, CEO of Dying With Dignity Canada. “And this is not what the Supreme Court of Canada had in mind—just to be so narrow, so restrictive.”

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The proposed law would leave out people who are suffering but not terminally ill such as those with multiple sclerosis, ALS, or spinal stenosis. It would also exclude people with severe mental illnesses or those are diagnosed with dementia who would like to plan their deaths before they are incapable of doing so.

As it now stands, people must be deemed competent at the time of death.

Members of Parliament refused quick passage

Tension was high this week in the House of Commons over this proposed legislation and it led to some jostling for which the prime minister had to apologize. Members of Parliament will not be able to address the bill until the end of May since Monday is a holiday and the beginning of a week-long break.  It is also unclear how quickly the Senate is likely to move on the legislation.

If the law is not passed, assisted dying will be a matter between patients and their doctors and it would be subject to regulations by individual provinces and not a subject to the Criminal Code of Canada.

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