October 18, 2016
Manitoba Introduces Proposed Legislative Changes to Reflect Medical Assistance in Dying
The Manitoba government has introduced amendments to two pieces of proposed legislation as a necessary response to medical assistance in dying becoming legal in Canada earlier this year, Justice Minister Heather Stefanson announced today.
“Manitoba’s laws must comply with changes to federal legislation; in this case, to reflect an individual’s right to choose medical assistance in dying,” said Stefanson. “This change would remove the legal requirement for a medical examiner to become involved when a death that would otherwise be considered a natural death occurs with medical assistance, showing appropriate respect for an individual’s end-of-life choice.”
The changes introduced today would affect the Fatality Inquiries Act and the Vital Statistics Act. Once passed, they would clarify that a death resulting from a procedure that complies with the Criminal Code is not a suicide or homicide for the purposes of these two acts. The province would also have the authority to create regulations related to collecting and sharing aggregated information about medical assistance in dying.
For more information about medical assistance in dying, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/maid.html.
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