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

Statement

December 11, 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 an additional extension, until February 26, 2021, of the Superior Court of Québec’s September 2019 Truchon ruling concerning Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) law.

“In October 2020, our Government reintroduced legislation to respond to the Truchon ruling, which found the ‘reasonable foreseeability of natural death’ eligibility criterion in the Criminal Code’s medical assistance dying provisions to be unconstitutional. Bill C-7 responds to this important court ruling by expanding eligibility for persons whose death is not reasonably foreseeable. It also proposes other changes to the current MAID law to address feedback received from over 300,000 Canadians, experts, practitioners, stakeholders, Indigenous groups, and provinces and territories during the January and February 2020 consultations.

“Right now, the proposed changes to Canada’s MAID law are with the Senate for consideration. Unfortunately and notwithstanding our best efforts, the legislative process was delayed in the House of Commons.

“We know Canadians, especially those who are suffering intolerably and would become eligible for MAID under the proposed changes, are anxious to see the proposed amendments come into effect. We want to reassure them, and all Canadians, that we remain committed to responding to this important court ruling, and our sincere hope is that Parliamentarians will work to meet the current court deadline. However, given we are only a week away from that deadline, seeking an extension is the responsible course of action.

“As we’ve said many times before, medical assistance in dying is a complex and deeply personal issue. We remain committed to collaborating with our Parliamentary colleagues and supporting their consideration of the proposed changes to Canada’s MAID law, and urge them to help pass the proposed legislation without further delay.” 

Contacts

Rachel Rappaport
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613-992-6568

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca

Cole Davidson
Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Health
613-957-0200

Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
hc.media.sc@canada.ca

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