This June marked ten years since medical assistance in dying (MAID) became legal in Canada, following a significant shift in the country’s approach to end-of-life care and personal autonomy. MAID was legalized on June 17, 2016, after the Supreme Court decision in Carter v. Canada determined that Canada’s prohibition on assisted dying violated certain rights protected by the Canadian Charter…
Medical assistance in dying has been legal in Canada since 2016. In 2021, Parliament approved expanding the eligibility criteria to include those with a mental disorder as their sole underlying condition. That change was to come into effect in March 2023, but the government paused it for another year in the face of widespread concerns over possible consequences. On Feb…
Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) first came into effect in June 2016. It continues to evolve, with the latest changes coming into effect in March 2021, and more expected in March 2023. The law “seeks to respect personal autonomy for those seeking access to MAiD, while at the same time protecting vulnerable people and the equality rights of all…
Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) is arguably a natural way to end a life. As the organs of the body shut down and eating becomes challenging, the person facing their end-of-life may prefer to collaborate with the dying process by abstaining from food and water. Loved ones insisting on nutrition and hydration, sometimes by tube feeding and IV lines,…