Criminology 121 Newspaper/Magazine assignment

677 Words2 Pages

Canadians may be forced to consider their stance on euthanasia and assisted suicide this year as Quebec pushes forward with a bill that would implement this right. The article "The coming Euthanasia Debate", from the National Post, brings to light just how close parts of Canada are to changing its laws. The article also highlights some of the problems and concerns other states and countries have faced after legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide.
On June 12, 2013 Bill 52 "An act respecting end -of-life care" was introduced to Quebec. In November 2013 the Bill had already passed its second reading and in January 2014 Bill 52 entered its final stages of review. Veronique Hivon, from youth and health protection, told reporters she hopes to see the bill adopted after the assembly resumes on February 11, 2014 (Dougherty, 2014).
This article is important because Canadians need to be informed of the changing laws in Canada. Canadians should be provided with information to help them decide their take on the matter, and having knowledge of other countries or states experiences can help a great deal. The article talks about three jurisdictions where euthanasia is already legal; Belgium, Washington and Oregon. Euthanasia is an act where a medical doctor intentionally causes the death of a patient. In order for a person to qualify for euthanasia they would have to be suffering for a terminal illness. Although Quebec's Bill 52 seems to set out strict criteria for qualifying for this treatment, cases from Belgium cause concern for what may become a slippery slope. The problem in Belgium is that patients are no longer dying from an illness, but are just feeling helpless and depressed and are ending their lives through euthan...

... middle of paper ...

...er, with a 5-4 vote the supreme court of Canada did not agree. The vote itself though, shows proof that there is disagreement within our legal system (Schmalleger & Volk, 2011).
Every case is going to be different, and not every case is going to fit perfectly within the law. As well, no law will ever exist without some discrepancy. But we do need to consider that a terminally ill person nearing death may be living in extreme pain, and allowing that to continue when the patient only wants to die in peace and with dignity is a misuse of power. Many publicised cases have made it apparent the current laws are causing controversy which is why they need to be reviewed and perhaps laws need to change. The examples in the article given from Belgium should not just serve as a warning but serve as guidelines to the areas that Canada needs to pay special attention to.

More about Criminology 121 Newspaper/Magazine assignment

Open Document