Dignity For All
CLF’s Recent Work:
special joint committee on medical assistance in dying
On November 16, 2023, CLF submitted a brief to the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, urging it to reverse Canada’s proposed expansion of assisted death (“MAID”) for mental illness, currently scheduled to take effect next March. Recent studies have highlighted serious concerns around lack of access to care for mental health in Canada. Instead of prioritizing MAID for psychiatric conditions, CLF's brief urges Parliament to "prioritize mental health supports that offer all Canadians the ability to live with dignity" (Read more).
On October 21, 2022 Derek Ross, CLF's Executive Director & General Counsel, was invited to appear before Parliament's Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. The Committee is undertaking a "statutory review of the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to Medical Assistance in Dying and their application", including issues relating to mature minors, advance requests, mental illness, the state of palliative care in Canada and the protection of Canadians with disabilities. CLF previously filed a written brief with the Committee.
During his presentation, Derek shared CLF's concerns that "palliative care and disability supports were not accessible in hundreds of MAID cases thus far". He recommended that patients not just be "informed" of care options, but offered consultations with professionals who provide care to relieve their suffering, including palliative care. He also urged the Committee to reject any proposals to allow euthanasia for infants with disabilities. You can watch his intervention here (beginning at the 8:52 mark). (Read more)
Advocating for conscience protection in healthcare in Canada and worldwide
A new peer-reviewed book, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada: Key Multidisciplinary Perspectives has been published. Derek Ross, Executive Director and General Counsel for Christian Legal Fellowship and Deina Warren, Director of Legal Affairs at the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, contributed a chapter on “The Importance of Conscience as an Independent Protection.”
On May 14, 2021, CLF made written submissions to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) concerning its medical assistance in dying (MAID) and human rights policies, as part of a CPSO consultation. Among other concerns, CLF urged the CPSO to modify its “effective referral” requirements for MAID, especially in light of Bill C-7's expansion of MAID for many more patients, including those who are not dying.
On May 28, 2021, CLF submitted a response to the World Medical Association’s (WMA) proposed amendments to the International Code of Medical Ethics. Our submissions cautioned the WMA against the adoption of a statement in support of mandatory effective referrals in cases of conscientious objection.
On September 1, 2021, CLF made written submissions to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has been examining how to “build back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic from a disability rights perspective. CLF commented on the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and Canada’s expanding medical assistance in dying (“MAiD”) regime, including the disproportionate impact that restrictions have had on persons with disabilities, the expansion of eligibility of MAiD to include disability-related suffering, and the rise in patients seeking MAiD due to suffering caused by “isolation/loneliness”.
See more on CLF’s ongoing work to protect freedom of conscience in healthcare below.
Bill C-7
On March 17, 2021, Bill C-7 received royal assent and is now law in Canada.
Read more about what this means for Canadians.
CLF’s Written Submissions
On October 31, 2020, CLF submitted a detailed brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST), which is currently reviewing Bill C-7, the federal government’s proposed expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD).
On November 18, 2020, CLF submitted a detailed brief to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in relation to Bill C-7, in English and French.
On February 8, 2021, CLF submitted a letter to all members of both houses of the Canadian Parliament, urging them to halt Bill C-7, and drawing their attention to specific UN concerns about the proposed legislation.
On February 22, 2021, CLF submitted a letter to Parliament, urging them to reject Bill C-7, as amended by the Senate.
CLF's Oral Submissions:
On November 25, CLF's Derek Ross was invited to appear before the Senate Committee to provide oral submissions:
Part I: CLF's submissions to the Senate re: Bill C-7 (expanding euthanasia)
Part II: Questions from the Senate re: Bill C-7 (expanding euthanasia)
Bill C-7, which was passed into law on March 17, 2021, removed the eligibility requirement that MAiD recipients be at the end of life, making euthanasia available to those who are not dying or near death. It also removed several other key safeguards, including the 10-day waiting period in cases where the patient is near the end of life, the requirement for a second independent verification of requests for MAiD, and, in some cases, the requirement that a patient expressly reaffirm his or her consent to MAiD immediately prior to receiving the lethal injection.
CLF’s submissions to Parliament higlighted that MAID has been performed in Canada on patients who need, but do not have access to, palliative care and/or disability support services. CLF’s briefs further highlighted Canadian cases in which euthanasia has been administered in violation of applicable law, and urged the creation of an independent review body to investigate such cases moving forward.
CLF also endorsed the recommendation of the Office of the Correctional Investigator seeking a moratorium of euthanasia in prisons after each case he reviewed raised “fundamental questions around consent, choice, and dignity.”
Standing with disability advocacy organizations, medical professionals, and faith leaders across Canada, CLF has been a public voice for the rights of marginalized patients in need of support to live with dignity. CLF members drafted an open letter to Parliament, signed by over 140 lawyers, law students, and others – including the Hon. David Onley, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario – defending the right to life of all Canadians (see immediately below). CLF’s advocacy on these critical issues will continue.
Joint Submissions - Open Letter re: Bill C-7
An open letter has been signed by over 140 lawyers, law students, and others - including the Hon. David Onley, former Lt. Gov. of Ontario - defending the right to life of all Canadians.
Read more about the letter here. You can also read the letter below, in English and French.
Read the Statement in English
(Below, click the “[ ]” icon in the centre to enable full screen mode [this will also enable hyperlinks].)
Lisez la déclaration en français
(Ci-dessous, cliquez sur l'icône «[]» au milieu afin d'activer le mode plein écran [cela activera aussi les hyperliens].)