The Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) today releases a Discussion Paper and launches province-wide consultations for its Improving the Last Stages of Life project. These consultations will run continuously from June through September 2017.

The project responds to public concerns regarding how the law shapes the rights, choices, and quality of life for persons in Ontario who are in the last stages of life. The project seeks to address the experiences of everyone involved in the dying process, including individuals, caregivers and other family and friends, health care institutions and professionals, governments, and other professional and community organizations.

LCO conducted preliminary consultations with over 70 individuals, groups and organizations to identify issues of importance to Ontarians.  The project examines legal aspects of several issues arising in palliative and end-of-life care, including:

• Withdrawal and withholding treatment;
• Supporting caregiver and family needs;
• Planned deaths at home;
• Palliative sedation therapy;
• Resolving health care disputes;
• Health Care Consent and Advance Care Planning; and,
• Supports for professionals.

This project aims to avoid duplicating other efforts, including the Canadian Council of Academies’ review of medical assistance in dying and Ontario’s Bill 84.

Bruce Elman, Chair of LCO’s Board of Governors, says that “There has been a lot of discussion in Ontario recently about medical assistance in dying (MAID).  This project and consultation addresses several important end-of-life legal issues beyond MAID.  We invite Ontarians from across the province to participate.”   

LCO’s province-wide consultations will run from June to September 2017.  These consultations will be supported by:

• A detailed Discussion Paper, available in English and French;
• Brief background materials on major consultation issues, available in English and French;
• In-person consultation sessions and focus groups;
• Online webinars and surveys;
• An expert Advisory Group; and,
• Seven research papers commissioned from subject matter experts.

All of these materials will be available on the LCO’s project webpage at http://www.lco-cdo.org/laststages Ontarians are invited to provide comments, ask questions, or make recommendations at lawcommission@lco-cdo.org.

The results of the province-wide consultations will be summarized in an Interim Report to be released in early 2018. 

The LCO is Ontario’s leading law reform agency.  The LCO provides independent, balanced and authoritative advice on some of Ontario’s most complex and far-reaching legal policy issues. 

The LCO is funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, Osgoode Hall Law School, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and York University.  The LCO is also supported by Ontario’s law schools. The LCO is located at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.  

More information about this project, other LCO projects, and the LCO itself is available in English and French at www.lco-cdo.org.

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