Joint Statement by Ministers Lametti and Hajdu on motion seeking extension of Superior Court of Québec’s Truchon ruling

February 17, 2020 - Ottawa - Department of Justice Canada

The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, today issued the following statement:

“Today, the Attorney General of Canada filed a motion to request a 4-month extension of the Superior Court of Québec’s September 2019 Truchon ruling. 

“Without this extension, the ‘reasonable foreseeability of natural death’ criterion from the federal law will no longer be applicable in the province of Quebec come March 12, but will remain in effect in other provinces and territories.

“Following the successful completion of the Government’s consultations on this important matter, we fully intend to introduce new medical assistance in dying legislation in the near future. An extension would give Parliament time to consider and enact proposed amendments.

“We recognize that medical assistance in dying is a complex and deeply personal issue. The high level of engagement during the January 2020 online public consultations—which received nearly 300,000 responses—is a strong demonstration of the importance of this issue for Canadians.

“We remain committed to responding to the Court’s ruling as quickly as possible.”