Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and Incarceration in Canada

• In Event: Emerging Carceral Issues

Abstract

In Canada, medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has been a legal medical procedure since June 2016. Since the legalization of MAiD, Canada has formulated one of the most progressive MAiD policies in the world. This legal, medical procedure permits an eligible individual to receive assistance from a physician or nurse practitioner to intentionally end one’s own life. Individuals who are federally incarcerated in Canada are met with additional regulations and provisions to the procedure that act as barriers to access. These additional regulations are implemented by Correctional Service Canada (CSC) entitled Guideline 800-9. This presentation will explore how CSC policies and procedures, specifically CSC’s Guideline 800-9 Medical Assistance in Dying, lack a right-to-health approach. This presentation will explore the ethical principles associated with limiting access to MAiD for federally incarcerated individuals by utilizing Beauchamp’s principles of biomedical ethics and a health justice framework for this analysis. Bringing forth discussions and debates around the validity and justification for equal MAiD access for those who are federally incarcerated in Canada.

Author

• Megan Bailey, Carleton University