Canadian dad calls on judge to block 27-year-old daughter’s assisted suicide

A Canadian man has called on a judge to block his 27-year-old daughter’s assisted suicide, arguing that the young woman lacks the ability to fully consent to the doctor-assisted death.

The case, which has highlighted family members’ limited ability to intervene, has seen the Alberta father argue that his daughter is not eligible due to her autism and mental health issues.

The father and daughter live together, however are in disagreement about the decision, which has already been approved by doctors. The man, known as WV, cannot be identified under a court order. He is now seeking a judicial review of the case.

Last week, a court in Calgary were urged by the dad’s lawyer to extend an injunction used to block the woman’s suicide on 1st February, a day before the woman’s assisted suicide was to take place. The woman, identified as MV, “suffers from autism and possibly other undiagnosed maladies that do not satisfy the eligibility criteria for MAiD,” the man’s lawyer, Sarah Miller, said, according to local paper the Calgary Herald.

The lawyer acting for the father argued that the Medical Assistance in Dying approval her client’s 27-year-old daughter received needs to be thoroughly reviewed, the paper reports.

Counsel for the woman this week argued that her father has no standing in interfering with the medically approved decision. Miller said that an injunction granted to the dad before should be extended until a judicial review can take place.

Miller argued before the court on Monday that the MAID approval needs to be reviewed, 

“As W.V. explains, M.V. suffers from autism and possibly other undiagnosed maladies that do not satisfy the eligibility criteria for MAID,” Miller said in her written brief for Justice Colin Feasby.

Along with autism, the Court of King’s Bench judge heard that the woman also suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and her father does not believe she is in need of MAID to relieve her suffering.

The daughter applied for MAID last year and initially received approval from one of two doctors. She then applied to a third physician who also approved the procedure, the Calgary Herald reported. 

“There are genuine concerns with respect to impartiality,” Miller said.

The lawyer said issues also remain concerning whether the patient has been subject to undue influence in coming to the conclusion she wants medical professionals to terminate her life.

“There’s no evidence before this court that she has an irremediable condition,” Miller said.

The latest government figures have spotlighted Canada’s MAiD programme introduced in 2016, revealing that 13,102 people across the country had their lives ended by assisted suicide in 2022. This was a 30 per cent hike on the previous year, raising concerns about the Canadian regime. Moves to expand the practices are being questioned, with the country having one of the highest rates of euthanasia in the world – with 4.1 per cent of deaths now aided by doctors.

In a survey undertaken by the 13,102 Canadians who ended their lives under MAiD, the vast majority said their decision was due to the “loss of ability to engage in meaningful life activities.” More than one-third said their decision was at least partly due to a feeling they were perceived as a burden on family, friends, or caregivers, giving cause for concern to healthcare experts and lawmakers.