The Supreme Court of Canada has struck down the laws prohibiting physician-assisted death but has only partially defined the kind of legal regime that might replace them. This panel, consisting of a philosopher, a lawyer, and a clinician, will confront some of the questions that will now be very much on the public agenda: What, exactly, did the Court decide? What directions did it lay out for a regime of legal assisted dying? What is the federal government’s task now? What happens if it does nothing? Where might we look for guidance on how to construct a suitable regulatory framework? What criteria and procedures should it embody? What impact might the provision of legal assisted dying have on the practice of medicine, especially palliative care? How might we protect physicians’ right of conscientious refusal to provide this service?

Panelists include:
Wayne Sumner, University Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, and author of Assisted Death: A Study in Ethics and Law
James Downar, Palliative Care Physician and Intensivist, University Health Network; Assistant Professor, Divisions of Critical Care and Palliative Care, University of Toronto; Chair, Postgraduate Education Committee, Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians
Jocelyn Downie, Professor, Faculties of Law and Medicine, Dalhousie University. Author of Dying Justice: A Case for Decriminalizing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada ; member of pro bono legal team in Carter v. Canada (Attorney General) and member of Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel on End of Life Decision-Making

Seating is Limited – Register here:

Mon, Mar 30, 2015
04:00 PM - 06:00 PM
George Ignatieff Theatre, Larkin Building
15 Devonshire Place