Ontario Medical Association asks Senators to amend Bill C-7 by including conscience rights for medical professionals.

February 3, 2021

Senator Mobina Jaffer
Chair
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada, K1A 0A4

Dear Senator Jaffer,

I am writing you to provide our position as you consider Bill C-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying--MAID), at the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

It is important that patients have access to all forms of care regardless of the personal beliefs of their physician. However, it is also important to protect the legal rights of physicians who have conscientious objections – moral or religious – to providing MAID.

Doctors should not be asked to provide care that is in contradiction to their deeply held beliefs. This is especially the case when there are reasonable alternatives that are consistent with providing timely access to care.

It is the view of the OMA that introducing conscience rights directly into legislation would be a positive solution that would strike the right balance between the Charter rights of physicians and their patients.

We respectfully urge your committee to take our views into consideration and incorporate the appropriate changes to the Bill as you consider it for clause by clause.

Sincerely,

Dr. Samantha Hill
President
Ontario Medical Association
cc: The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

(Link to the original letter)