Quebec begins public hearings on euthanasia

Town hall-style meetings will visit 11 communities across the province to hear residents’ views on the controversial issue.

Euthanasia is illegal in Canada, but anecdotally it is a not unheard of practice in some Quebec hospitals. At the urging of the opposition Parti Quebecois, the Liberal government of the province has started a provincial conversation on the issue by launching a series of public consultations on euthanasia today. Three hundred oral and written submissions are expected from the public during the 11 hearings, and a further 3,300 residents have filled out an online questionnaire. Earlier this year the provincial legislature debated euthanasia and put together a consultation document outlining pertinent issues. While a change in euthanasia laws would require federal legislation from Ottawa, the Quebec judiciary could choose not to aggressively prosecute the crime.