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Dear friends,

The long-awaited report of the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) Expert Panel on MAID requests by mature minors, advance requests, and requests where a mental disorder is the sole underlying medical condition, was released on December 12, 2018.

The Physicians’ Alliance against Euthanasia was one of 59 groups that submitted testimony to the Panel.

The three reports (each extending to over 200 pages) propose a review of the state of knowledge on these three topics, and give no recommendations.

If you prefer to read the Summary, it is 62 pages long.

The working group on MAID requests by mature minors concluded that “there are many gaps in knowledge that make it difficult to arrive at definitive answers.” and that “The view that minors are in need of heightened protection is a widely shared concern.”

According to the working group on advance requests for MAID, “removing a requirement for express consent immediately prior to the MAID procedure raises the possibility that a person might receive MAID against their wishes.” It goes on to state that “A judgment… would need to consider the inherent tensions among values of respecting autonomy, alleviating suffering and protecting against vulnerabilities…”

The report of the working group on MAID requests where a mental disorder is the sole underlying medical condition highlighted major disagreements among working group members on essential points, including how to weigh outcomes; whether there is an ethical distinction between choosing MAID when death is imminent vs. choosing to die when one may have many years still to live; and whether one can distinguish between a desire for suicide and a request for MAID in a person with a mental disorder.

The response of the Canadian Government to these reports, less than a year before the next election, remains to be seen.

We encourage all members and supporters of the Physicians’ Alliance against Euthanasia, especially those who have specific expertise related to these three areas of potential extension of euthanasia, to study the reports and make their views known to politicians and the media.

Sincerely,

Catherine Ferrier
President