Ten prisoners have now been euthanised in Canada under the country’s controversial Medical Assistance in Dying regime (MAID).
According to statistics released by the Canadian government, since the practice was first legalised in 2016 deaths by euthanasia and assisted suicide now account for one in every 25 deaths in Canada. This equates to 44,958 Canadians since legalisation.
Jennifer O’Connell, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, said that as of 13 February 2024 the total number of requests received by the Correctional Service Canada (CSC) for MAID was 37, of which 10 were approved.
Speaking to the Canadian parliament earlier this year, O’Connell said, ‘The process related to the provision of MAID is comprehensive and contains numerous safeguards to ensure that federally incarcerated individuals are afforded the same rights as all other Canadians.
