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e-428 (Medical assistance in dying)
E-petition
Initiated by David Fowler from Victoria, British Columbia
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the Minister of Justice
Whereas:
- Bill C-14 does not embrace the spirit of the Supreme Court of Canada's unanimous ruling on February 6, 2015 in Carter v. Canada nor does it provide equality to every Canadian;
- The issue of advance declaration of a person's desire for end-of-life treatment when said person is mentally capable has already been taken up by a number of interested parties;
- One circumstance that has not been addressed is that in which a person suffers a catastrophic trauma from which there is no hope of survival even though clinical brain death cannot be declared;
- In all such instances of this scenario at under current legislation there is only one option - palliative care where opioids and sedatives are administered to keep the patient pain-free and "comfortable" until the body poisons itself causing organ failure; and
- The viability of organs for donation is lost and the catatonic patient languishes unnecessarily.
We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the Minister of Justice to the following: Any mentally competent person who officially avows in advance the end-of-life treatment wanted in conjunction with a stated desire to donate all viable organs upon their demise should be eligible for physician assisted death in the event that said person suffers an irremediable and irreversible trauma where, in the unanimous opinion of three attending qualified physicians, there is absolutely no hope for survival and a natural death would be imminent. In instances such as these it should be considered both legally and ethically acceptable to maintain organ viability through standard life supporting procedures while accelerating brain death through appropriate intravenous medication.
- Open for signature
- July 19, 2016, at 5:03 p.m. (EDT)
- Closed for signature
- November 16, 2016, at 5:03 p.m. (EDT)
