Originally published at National Catholic Register
The Canadian government is actively soliciting citizen input for a proposal to legalize “advance requests” in which citizens can pre-arrange to be euthanized at a time when they are unable to consent to the procedure.
The country’s federal government is inviting citizens to “share [their] thoughts” from December into February, soliciting input from “patients, health care providers,” Indigenous citizens, and “persons with lived experiences.”
The move toward potentially allowing “advance requests” comes after the provincial government of Quebec implemented its own policy earlier this year. In that province, “advance requests” for medical aid in dying (MAiD) may be made by individuals who have “been diagnosed with a serious and incurable illness leading to incapacity” such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The request “must be made while the person is still capable of consenting to care,” the Quebec government said, acknowledging that the lethal procedure will be carried out “when they become incapable of [consenting].”
The Canadian federal government describes advance requests as a “complex and serious topic.” The results of the country’s “national conversation” on the matter will be published in a report next year, the government said.
The “conversation,” the government said, will help to ensure the country’s euthanasia program “reflects
