Québec committee supports euthanasia for incompetent people but not for mental illness.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

A report from a Québec committee of elected officials who examined further expansions of euthanasia supported extending euthanasia to incompetent people who made an advanced request but not extending euthanasia for mental illness alone. The Canadian Press reported:

A Quebec committee of elected officials says anyone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease should be able to sign an advance request for medical aid in dying. 

That is the main recommendation in a multi-party committee report tabled Wednesday looking at expanding the province’s law on end-of-life care, one that is expected to revive a debate that has divided politicians and the public.

If euthanasia is extended to incompetent people who requested death in an advanced directive, then the people are killed by lethal injection (euthanasia) will not be required to consent at the time of death. Remember, people write an advanced directive when they are competent but before they are sick. These people will lose the right to change their mind. 

Further, euthanasia is sold to the culture based on the concept of freedom of choice for consenting adults. Clearly euthanasia based on advanced directives undercuts the concept of choice for consenting adults.

The Québec committee did not approve euthanasia for mental illness alone. The Canadian Press reported:

However, the committee did not recommend expanding access to those whose only medical problem is a mental disorder. It says experts testified that in many cases with mental illness, it can be difficult to make the proper diagnosis.

Rejecting euthanasia for mental illness alone seems like a victory, but Bill C-7, that was passed by federal parliament in March 2021, permits euthanasia for mental illness alone. A few months ago the federal government appointed a committee to determine the protocols for approving euthanasia for mental illness alone. It is likely that the Quebec committee decided to leave this contentious issue alone simply because the federal government had technically legalized it already.

Nonetheless, I give the Québec euthanasia committee credit for listening to all perspectives on these issues. The federal government committee is stacked with Members of Parliament who support expanding euthanasia and who appear unwilling to examine the abuse associated with the current law.