This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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A report containing 21 recommendations on medically-assisted dying has been presented to the federal government, advising it to implement any new legislation in two stages. The report published by the special parliamentary committee has suggested that the first stage should only include application to adults over 18 with “intolerable” physical or mental suffering to seek medical help in ending their lives. The committee recommended that those with terminal and non-terminal “grievous and irremediable medical conditions” causing “enduring suffering” be able to access medically assisted dying.
In the second stage, the report suggests, the government should allow “competent mature minors” in similar medical circumstances to receive help in dying. However, the report stressed that the second phase should come into force “no later than three years after the first stage.” Moreover, the committee recommended that each patient should be fully assessed to ensure they have the capacity to provide informed consent to assisted death, highlighting that the assessment should investigate “the vulnerabilities in end-of-life circumstances.”
Addressing the health care professionals who object to assisted dying, the report recommends the governments to make medical regulatory bodies establish ways to respect health professionals’ freedom of conscience while at the same time respecting the needs of patients. It has been suggested that health practitioners refusing to provide assistance should, at a minimum, provide an “effective referral” for the patient. Lastly, the committee recommended an oversight mechanism to regularly monitor assisted death, suggesting that the legislation should be reviewed every four years “to identify any potential areas that require refinement.”
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