Bill S-225 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (physician-assisted death)

This bill was last introduced in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2015.

Status

Second reading (Senate), as of June 2, 2015
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to allow a physician, at a person’s request and subject to certain conditions, to assist that person to end his or her life if he or she is enduring intolerable suffering or is in a state of weakening capacities due to illness, disease or disability.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

January 18th, 2016 / 2:25 p.m.


See context

Senior Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice

Joanne Klineberg

That's the only one of that sort that I'm aware of. I believe there also have been some bills studied recently by the legislature of Scotland, and probably also in a number of jurisdictions in Australia. I haven't looked at those very closely. There are also always a handful under debate in legislatures in the various U.S. states.

There's quite a number. If one goes back 10 years or so, one could find quite a number.

Of course, in the Parliament of Canada there have been private members' bills recently. Bill S-225 was introduced in the Senate last session. That's another model you could look at.