Canadians may be forced to consider their stance on euthanasia and assisted suicide this year as Quebec pushes forward with a bill that would implement this right. The article "The coming Euthanasia Debate", from the National Post, brings to light just how close parts of Canada are to changing its laws. The article also highlights some of the problems and concerns other states and countries have faced after legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide.
On June 12, 2013 Bill 52 "An act respecting end -of-life care" was introduced to Quebec. In November 2013 the Bill had already passed its second reading and in January 2014 Bill 52 entered its final stages of review. Veronique Hivon, from youth and health protection, told reporters she hopes to see the bill adopted after the assembly resumes on February 11, 2014 (Dougherty, 2014).
This article is important because Canadians need to be informed of the changing laws in Canada. Canadians should be provided with information to help them decide their take on the matter, and having knowledge of other countries or states experiences can help a great deal. The article talks about three jurisdictions where euthanasia is already legal; Belgium, Washington and Oregon. Euthanasia is an act where a medical doctor intentionally causes the death of a patient. In order for a person to qualify for euthanasia they would have to be suffering for a terminal illness. Although Quebec's Bill 52 seems to set out strict criteria for qualifying for this treatment, cases from Belgium cause concern for what may become a slippery slope. The problem in Belgium is that patients are no longer dying from an illness, but are just feeling helpless and depressed and are ending their lives through euthan...
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...er, with a 5-4 vote the supreme court of Canada did not agree. The vote itself though, shows proof that there is disagreement within our legal system (Schmalleger & Volk, 2011).
Every case is going to be different, and not every case is going to fit perfectly within the law. As well, no law will ever exist without some discrepancy. But we do need to consider that a terminally ill person nearing death may be living in extreme pain, and allowing that to continue when the patient only wants to die in peace and with dignity is a misuse of power. Many publicised cases have made it apparent the current laws are causing controversy which is why they need to be reviewed and perhaps laws need to change. The examples in the article given from Belgium should not just serve as a warning but serve as guidelines to the areas that Canada needs to pay special attention to.
Dr. Glucksberg and 'Compassion in Dying' set their case saying that the ban against doctor-assisted suicide was violating the right patients right of due process and placed an unjustified burden on terminally ill patients who required help to stop suffering misery from the disease that plagued their body and/or mind.
Euthanasia has been a long debated subject consisting of many opinions and believes. For this paper I will be providing my rationale on why I am for legalization of active voluntary euthanasia for terminally ill clients in Canada. Active voluntary euthanasia should be legalized because it respects the individual’s choice, it allows individuals to flourish in their passing, and reduces the individual from further suffering. These are all important components of bioethics, and are all good reasons why euthanasia is not a negative thing. Active voluntary euthanasia is “the active killing of a dying person” requested by the client themselves (Collier & Haliburton, 2011, p. 226). In the paper I will also be discussing about virtue ethics, the principle of autonomy, and care ethics.
Reflecting on Canada's view on euthanasia, a study was performed to ask the general population on how they felt about euthanasia and their opinion of euthanasia being illegal in Canada. Findings by Wilson et al., (2013) showed a majority of people believed that with properly followed guidelines, euthanasia should be legalized in Canada. This study found that although euthanasia is considered illegal in Canada, there were very few criminal convictions of people when following through with euthanasia. The general population felt that the process of euthanasia was monitored very well and that with appropriate steps it was not a big issue as it is perceived to be. Als...
The role of criminal justice professionals is to preserve and uphold the Constitution by enforcing laws, protecting citizen’s rights and promoting justice for all. Police officers in the field of duty must be able to discern situations to be able to act in the most appropriate manner as it relates to their job. In this case study, Officer Smith is threatened with being penalized for making a decision he thinks is good community policing, but his Lieutenant feels he violated protocol. Officer Smith responds to a domestic dispute between an intoxicated husband and wife. Normal procedure would be to arrest the husband and put him in jail until the decision is made whether or not to press charges. Instead, Officer Smith decides to intervene and asks the couple questions about if they love each other, and why they are physically assaulting each other. They respond they do love each other, but the alcohol makes them violent towards one another. Officer Smith then recommends counseling for the couple, as an alternative to putting the husband in jail. The couple agrees to
According to Longman dictionary euthanasia means “the deliberate killing of a person who is very ill ‘(terminal illness)’ and going to die, in order to stop them suffering.” There are two different types of euthanasia; active and passive. Euthanasia is legalized in some parts of the world like Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Oregon, Montana and Washington. Euthanasia should not be legalized in Canada because it is not lawful, ethical, and violates Canada’s respect for every religion.
Doctors become very powerful, when they can perform euthanasia on patients. In the Netherlands, there are a reported 4,000 cases of involuntary euthanasia, since 2012. This is disheartening because it is legal in this country. There are 900 cases a year reportedly in the United
A recent poll founded by the Canadian Medical Association found that “only one in five doctors surveyed. . . said they would be willing to perform euthanasia if the practice were legalized. . . Twice as many – 42 percent – said they would refuse to do so” (Kirkey 1). Euthanasia is defined as giving a patient the right to die early with a physician’s assistance, and the legalization of this practice is being considered by lawmakers in many countries, including the United States. Accordingly, 42 percent of doctors in Canada are on the right side of this debate. Euthanasia should not be legalized because it violates society’s views that life is sacred, creates economic pressure for doctors, and for those countries that have legalized it, their laws are not specific enough to fully protect patients.
I am writing to you today with both the interests of the public, and my own interests, on the topic of Euthanasia becoming legalized in British Columbia. In a 2013 poll conducted by Life Canada the findings were that in British Columbia 63% of Canadians believed that Assisted Suicide be brought into place, and 55% believed that Euthanasia should take action, although some hesitated because of the numbers of non-consensual Euthanasia deaths in Belgium. Having Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide legalized would not only be able to help the terminally ill and physically disabled decide how they wish for their life to end, but the legalization would also save a lot of time, money, and resources in hospitals and palliative care facilities. Although some laws such as section 241 of the Criminal Code would need to be reviewed, Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide could potentially end some people’s suffering, and save money and resources for the province.
Canada has very few moral issues facing the country at this time. One moral issue of contention in Canada is human euthanasia. The Canadian Supreme Court overturned a law banning human euthanasia on January 15, 2016 (Reuters, 2016). In the ruling, the Canadian Supreme Court established rules and guidelines for human euthanasia by a licensed physician (Reuters, 2016). The issue had been contentiously debated by the Canadian Parliament prior to the ruling by the Canadian Supreme Court, but appears to be favored by most Canadians (Reuters,
In review, euthanasia is performed when the pain is too much for the patient. It is, overall, the patient’s life—their right and their choice. Everyone deserves to die compassionately, knowing that they will slip away painlessly. Everyone deserves to have a choice, especially when it comes to the manner of their death. If euthanasia is not legalized, many people will debilitating illnesses may take their lives in much more horrific ways. If they want the suffering to end badly enough, it is simply done one way or
Firstly, The Government of Canada should not consider legalizing euthanasia because the very principles of medical ethics are ignored. There are many medical principles
Thus, despite the arguments against euthanasia, patients’ lives should not be deprived of well-being, comfort or dignity. “In the last stage of life, every person is entitled to a high standard of care and a stable environment in which his or her privacy is respected” (Policy Options, 2013). A lot of the time, patients with terminal illnesses are thought of as ‘better off dead’ or ‘not the person they used to be’. This is all the more the reason why euthanasia should be legalized in Canada. The government should relax current laws and allow doctors to participate in assisted suicide if need be and are willing. If people suffering with terminal illnesses want to die peacefully and not endure painful procedures or live off machines whilst also helping society out money wise, the option should be available.
Euthanasia is one of the most recent and controversial debates today (Brogden, 2001). As per the Canadian Medical Association, euthanasia refers to the process of purposely and intentionally performing an act that is overtly anticipated to end the person’s life (CMA, 1998)
Yip,J. (2009). Euthanasia : An Overview. Canadian Point of View: Euthanasia, 1. Retrieved from Canadian Points of View Reference Centre database.
Sobsey, Dick. "A Background Paper Prepared for The Premier's Council on The Status of Persons with Disabilities (Alberta)." Euthanasia & People with Disabilities. University of Alberta. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.