A Right to Die? Assisted Suicide

• Author: Maureen A. McTeer
• Pages: 105-115

Chapter

Ten

A

Right

to

Die?

Assisted

Suicide

e have seen that, in response to the patients' rights move-

nient

and the

advent

of

modern medical technologies,

the

principles

of

personal autonomy

and

consent have been

clarified

and

legally

recognized.

We

must consent

to be

treated

and we

have

the

right

to

refuse

medical treatment, even where

that

rejection

will

lead

to our

death.

A

broad

definition

of

treatment applies which covers

drugs,

respirators,

and

other technologies used

to

keep people alive.

But

how far

does

this

right extend?

Can we

seek

the

help

of

others, such

as

doctors,

to

help

us

die?

If

suicide

is not

illegal,1

does

that mean

we

have

a

constitutional right

to

die?

Clearly,

we do

not,

and

counselling

or

helping someone

to

commit suicide

is a

criminal

offence.2

The

question arises whether this prohibition

is

always

justified.

Recent

cases suggest that Canadians

are

concerned that

the

present

Criminal

Code

provisions

are too

blunt

and

inflexible

and

need

to be

reconsidered. Three recent cases,

one on

assisted suicide

and two on

euthanasia,

highlight areas where more public discussion

is

needed

on

these

difficult

human problems.

In the Sue

Rodriguez

case,

an

other-

* 105

w