Only hours left to influence the law on dying with dignity
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- Published on Thursday, 30 March 2017 20:45
- Written by editor
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We don't have much time. Stand with suffering Canadians by writing your Member of Parliament today.
Dear friends,
The Canadian Press is reporting leaked details about the soon to be announced federal law regulating the right to die with dignity.
Despite the Supreme Court's ruling, key recommendations from a Parliamentary committee, and the broad support of a vast majority of Canadians, the leaked reports are saying that Canada's government is going to implement restrictive legislation missing key proposals, including the right to make advance requests for assisted dying.
We have just a few days to influence the legislation before it is tabled in Parliament.
That's why we need you to take action today.
The tool comes with a pre-prepared letter that will find your MP based on your postal code, but you can also customize the message to tell your MP why this right is so important to you.
We know that a small number of anti-choice groups have been pressuring Canada's government by writing letters and sending postcards, and it seems for the moment that they may be winning.
If they get their way, new legislation will deny sick and dying Canadians a number of important options, including the right to make an advance request.
To make no provision for advance requests, or to exclude people with dementia or other progressive illnesses from making them, would have the perverse result of trapping some individuals in intolerable suffering or causing premature death by suicide, as individuals take their own lives while they are still capable of doing so, but before they might otherwise have chosen.
This is the same problem that was at the heart of our case. It is a cruel choice to force someone to endure unwanted agony, or to take their own lives before they want to. The Supreme Court has already found that the prohibition creating this situation is an unjustified violation of the section 7 Charter right to life, liberty and security of the person.
This right is not up for debate. The Supreme Court has ruled, a Parliamentary Committee has produced a set of recommendations based on evidence from over 60 witnesses, and now Parliament must adopt legislation that respects those rights and offers a full range of medical options.
The Minister of Justice and your MP need to hear from you right now.
Please don't let anti-choice advocates drown out our voices at this critical moment. Write your MP today.
Sincerely,
Grace Pastine,
BCCLA Litigation Director
