Ottawa won’t allow people with dementia to request assisted dying: report

OTTAWA – The Trudeau government won’t be taking a permissive approach to medically assisted dying in long-awaited new legislation to be unveiled as early as next week, The Canadian Press has learned.

Sources, who aren’t authorized to speak publicly about the imminent bill, say it won’t adopt some of the most controversial recommendations from a special parliamentary committee.

READ MORE: First Manitoba patient granted doctor-assisted death died peacefully: family

That committee urged the government in February to place few obstacles in front Canadians who want medical help to end their suffering.

The legislation, likely to be introduced late next week, is expected to stipulate that only competent adults should be eligible to receive a doctor’s help to end their lives.

It will not allow people diagnosed with competence-impairing conditions like dementia to make advance requests for medical help to die, which the committee advocated.

READ MORE: B.C. woman granted permission for assisted death

Nor will it include mature minors, to whom the committee recommended extending the right to choose assisted death within three years.

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