Petition to the Minister of Justice
The Association Québécoise pour le Droit de Mourir dans la Dignité (AQDMD) is launching a petition to enable the application of Quebec’s law on advance requests for medical assistance in dying, and we need your help.
A little background: in June 2023, the Quebec National Assembly passed Bill 11 and amended its End-of-Life Care Act. This law makes it possible for people affected by a cognitive neurodegenerative disease (such as Alzheimer’s) to request medical assistance in dying when they become incapacitated. This law is a huge victory for the patients concerned and their families.
However, they may never be able to benefit from it.
The federal Criminal Code does not yet authorize advance requests. This makes the Quebec law inapplicable: caregivers who offer medical aid in dying in Quebec will be liable to prosecution if the Criminal Code is not harmonized.
But the federal government refuses to harmonize the Criminal Code. We have to push it to act!
To this end, the AQDMD has created a petition on the House of Commons website, to make Quebecers’ voices heard.
We have 120 days to make this petition a success. The more signatories we have, the better our chances of getting things done. Sign it, share it with your friends and family, and spread the word!
We, the undersigned, citizens of the Province of Quebec, call upon the Minister of Justice to amend the Criminal Code so that Quebec can legally apply its legislation on advance requests.
Expiry date: August 20, 2024