Canada prepares to change rules on access to euthanasia

Canada intends to allow advance requests for euthanasia in the event of a loss of capacity.

On Tuesday, the government of Canada will introduce a bill providing for the possibility of submitting a request for medical assistance in dying in advance, in case a person loses the ability to make decisions independently in the future. The initiative could expand the country's existing euthanasia system.

Canada's Minister of Justice Sean Fraser said that adult citizens will be able to give their consent to the procedure in advance so that their will is taken into account in the event of a diagnosis of an incurable illness that would subsequently deprive them of the ability to make such a decision on their own.

According to the minister, the government intends to work with provincial and territorial authorities to implement the new mechanism. At the same time, its application will be accompanied by strict safeguards designed to protect citizens from possible pressure and to ensure that the decision is made voluntarily.

The authorities separately emphasize that an advance request does not mean that euthanasia will automatically be carried out in the future. The legislation provides for additional precautionary measures, and at the time the procedure is performed the person must be experiencing unbearable suffering.

Canada legalized euthanasia in 2016, initially granting this option to terminally ill patients in the final stage of their illness. In 2021, the conditions for access to the procedure were expanded: it was also permitted for people with serious incurable illnesses that do not necessarily pose an immediate threat to life.

Advance consent to euthanasia under certain circumstances is also permitted in a number of other countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.