Submission to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Regarding Medical Assistance in Dying

The document submitted to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in 2021 focused on the ethical dilemmas faced by practitioners in relation to euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS, MAiD). It highlighted issues such as the need for EAS practitioners to be available for urgent requests, the unethical falsification of EAS death certificates, and the criminal liability incurred by practitioners facilitating EAS for ineligible patients. The document also criticized the policy's lack of attention to these criminal responsibilities and its failure to recommend caution when presenting EAS as a treatment option. It argued against the claim that practitioners have a fiduciary duty to collaborate in EAS and suggested that the policy statement denying clinical reasons for refusing EAS should be deleted. The document also contested the policy's implication that refusal to refer for EAS amounts to patient abandonment and criticized the suggestion that practitioners unwilling to participate in EAS should switch to hair restoration or leave the medical field. The document concluded that forcing unwilling citizens to participate in EAS is a dangerous idea that contradicts the values of a democratic society.