In our Charter of Rights, we have a “right to life.”

If assisted dying were not an option, our “right to life” would turn into a “duty to live”, with no legal way to end life as we choose.

Upon thinking about it, ending our lives the way we choose has a strong history of being encouraged by the health care community. We are all encouraged to complete an Advance Care Plan so our loved ones will know our final wishes should we take a sudden turn for the worse. Part of our Advance Care Plan includes details about whether or not we would like our life to be sustained by artificial means – breathing tubes, feeding tubes, etc. If we do not want to have these types of life-saving equipment applied to us, we simply let our loved ones know and that wish will be carried out by the medical team. This is choosing to end our life.

This quote, from the Court itself, really clarifies their position on the matter regarding prohibiting assistance in dying:

“This would create a ‘duty to live,’ rather than a ‘right to life,’ and would call into question the legality of any consent to the withdrawal or refusal of lifesaving or life-sustaining treatment.”

If you would like to read the Supreme Court of Canada Carter v. Canada document, you can find a copy of it by clicking here for this very informative CBC article.