MONTREAL — Quebec says the province will begin authorizing early requests for medical assistance in dying without waiting for Ottawa to amend Canada’s Criminal Code.

The changes, which were announced this morning and take effect as of Oct. 30, will allow certain patients to make advanced requests for MAID before their condition leaves them incapable of giving consent.

The government issued a press release saying it has asked the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions to respect the conditions laid out in the province’s act respecting end-of-life care when it comes to pressing criminal charges.

The Director’s office issued its own release immediately after the government, saying it would not be in the public interest to authorize criminal prosecutions for deaths occurring in a context of MAID so long as the care is provided in compliance with the act

Quebec previously said it would wait to grant early requests until the federal government modified the Criminal Code in order to better protect health-care workers from facing charges related to ending a patient’s life, but last month it announced it wouldn’t wait any longer.

Quebec adopted a law in June 2023 permitting people with serious and incurable illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease, to ask for MAID while they have the capacity to provide consent, with the procedure being carried out after their condition has worsened.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press