Ep. 075: Canada's Stance on Assisted Dying Laws
Guest: Howard Shapray, activist
Howard Shapray knows all too well the challenges deteriorating health has on a person and their family.
He was a member of the legal team that challenged Canada’s assisted death legislation in the Supreme Court of Canada and won. At any other time in your life, you have the capacity and the legal right to end your time on earth, which leads Shapray to ask on behalf of those who have lost the physical wherewithal, “Why are these people so disenfranchised?”
According to Shapray, the Supreme Court ruling is just the beginning. He says in addition to the government’s proposed legislative changes, a wide range of health care providers need to determine how to proceed. “I think the people who need guidelines are the doctors. They don't want to get sued. They don't want to get prosecuted. In each jurisdiction there should be guidelines; you need to document your consents in a certain way. You need to keep records.”
Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, palliative care, lawyers, administrators and others will now need to work together to ensure those who opt to ask for assistance in dying are capable of making a sound and reasoned choice.
