Bill C-418 was a private member's
bill introduced in 2018 by MP David Anderson. It proposed to add specific conscience protection for health care professionals to federal legislation. The bill died when an election was called in 2019. A similar bill,
C-268, was proposed in February 2021.
Specifically, Bill C-418 would have amended the
Criminal Code to make it an offence to intimidate a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or any other health care professional for compelling them to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying.
It would also have made it an offence to dismiss from employment or to refuse to employ a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or any other health care professional for the reason only that they refuse to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying.
The EFC sent a
letter in support of Bill C-418 to sponsoring MP David Anderson in November 2018.
Learn more on this issue, including actions you can take at the provincial level, at
TheEFC.ca/Conscience.