Ottawa, ON (February 19, 2015)– On February 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned a ban on physician-assisted death in a unanimous ruling, giving the federal and provincial governments a year to create new legislation.
While the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is pleased that end-of-life issues have been brought to the fore, implementation of physician assisted death must be approached with great caution.
“Assisted dying is a difficult topic” states CASW President Morel Caissie, “as it exists at the intersection of Canadians’ right to self-determination and a concern about the protection of society’s most vulnerable.” To address these concerns, CASW today re-releases CASW’s Statement of Principles on Assisted Dying.
Crafted in 1994 in the wake of the Sue Rodriguez case, the Statement has been updated to address the current climate. It provides the 2005 CASW Code of Ethics as a base upon which to build sound, respectful policies in the coming year.
“As social workers, we are guided by the Code of Ethics, which states that we must respect individuals’ autonomy, while also upholding the dignity and worth of all persons – this Statement of Principles balances both those concerns,” added Caissie.
“Implemented with great care, and after genuine consultation with relevant stakeholders both for and against the ruling, CASW calls on lawmakers to create policies that uphold individual rights while also protecting vulnerable populations” said Caissie. “We hope the CASW Statement provided helps both inform the public, and guide policy-makers in their challenge.”
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For more information:
Fred Phelps, MSW, RSW
613-729-6668