Grievous and irremediable medical conditions give rise to circumstances in which any administrative delay is a denial of justice regarding the civil right of physician-assisted dying (PAD).
The OCLA condemns that such inadmissible delays occur in Ontario, despite the strong 2015 Supreme Court ruling that enshrined the right of PAD for an illness, disease or disability that causes enduring suffering that is intolerable to the individual.
“My mom has repeatedly expressed her wish to terminate her life with MAID and has filed a request letter with her md and voiced her wishes with her specialist. She is currently unable to give consent as she requires narcotics to control the pain which make her unable to reaffirm her wishes. The process to get her on the registry for MAID has taken so long and her disease has worsened so quickly that the doctors say she no longer has capacity and must endure radiation and sedation which I know is against her wishes. … This should not happen. Her rights … are not being upheld,” said a family member of the patient to the OCLA.
The patient has now recently reaffirmed her request, the OCLA was told.
The family is also in contact with Dying With Dignity Canada, and the ethical office of the hospital.
Contact (English), specific case:
Shanon Kerr
Patient’s family member, in Thunder Bay
tel.: 519-546-8698
Contact (English / Français), OCLA’s position:
Denis Rancourt (PhD)
Researcher (OCLA)
tel.: 613-237-9600
