Child Rights and Physician Assistance in Death
The CCRC made a submission to the parliamentary committee that studied physician assisted death before introduction of a new law. Its recommendation that criteria be based on principles in the CRC rather than an arbitrary age criterion is reflected in the committee report. The committee recommended a two-stage legal process with the first stage applying to adults and then adding provisions for persons under age 18 after extensive consultation to determine criteria based on competency as a “mature minor.” Consultation with young people, as well as relevant experts, is recommended, in keeping with the CCRC’s focus on Article 12 of the Convention. The CCRC will continue to monitor the introduction and consideration of a new law, which needs to be completed by June. For copy of submission: CCRC Submission on Physician Assisted Death.