Quebec legalises medically assisted suicide
‘Dying with Dignity’ legislation elicits mixed reactions from Canadians.
Quebec has become Canada’s first province to legalise medically assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. With a vote of 94-22, Bill 52, also known as the ‘dying with dignity’ law, passed on Thursday and has brought about mixed reactions online.
The legislation allows for terminally ill patients to request medical assistance to end their lives, if certain conditions are met. These requirements include that the patient reside in Quebec and repeatedly ask a doctor to end their lives because of unbearable physical or psychological suffering.
Some questioned the legislation’s implications at the national level, where federal law criminalises euthanasia:
Published On 6 Jun 2014