Canada Seeks To Close Assisted Suicide Tourism

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An assisted suicide bill has been put before Canada’s Parliament and if passed will allow doctors to help terminally ill patients end their own lives.

However, the new bill will exclude foreigners from coming to the country to die.

However, according to BBC News:

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People with mental illness and psychiatric disorders are excluded too.

Last year, the Canadian Supreme Court struck down a law banning doctors from helping someone die.

This bill, which is backed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, must now be studied by committee and then voted on by both House and Senate.

Today in the House, we’re introducing legislation that gives dying patients the choice of a medically assisted death. 1/2

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 14, 2016

This is a difficult & deeply personal issue, and our government has carefully studied how best to support those in great suffering. 2/2

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 14, 2016

It seeks to protect “the conscience rights of medical practitioners”, said Canadian Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Asked why foreigners would be excluded from the new legislation, she refused to answer.

“We have considered this question in the context of Canada and Canadians,” she said at a press conference.

Cases brought on by the families of two deceased British Columbia women spurred last year’s decision by the court to strike down the law.

The court said outlawing assisted suicide deprives people of dignity and autonomy. Prior to that, counselling, aiding or abetting suicide was illegal in Canada.

The Assisted Suicide Timeline

The Liberal government had four months to come up with a new law, a time period that was extended

Last year Quebec’s top court ruled that the province can allow terminally ill patients the right to die with medical help.

Currently, assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Albania, Colombia, Japan and in US states Washington, California , Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana.

What different countries say about assisted dying

More US states introduced aid-dying legislation last year, but only California’s became law.