Institutional Religious Obstructions
Everything you need to know about Institutional Religious Obstructions, including forced transfers, in Canada.
The basics
An Institutional Religious Obstruction (IRO) occurs when an institution denies, blocks, or impedes a person’s legal right to health care, including medical assistance in dying (MAID), on religious grounds. IROs can include forced transfers from the institution, as well as refusing to provide information about MAID upon request, not allowing MAID assessments on-site, and/or denying admission to hospice or palliative care because the patient wishes to access MAID at a later point.
A forced transfer for an assisted death involves the patient being forced to leave their community of care and being transferred from one health care facility to another space. Already suffering, when their health is fragile, patients can be egregiously harmed by these transfers. Patients may experience unrelievable physical pain, lose consciousness and thus the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones, and feel deeply shamed and stigmatized for their choice to access MAID and end their suffering.
Individual clinicians have the right to object, for conscience reasons, to providing MAID or other medical treatments. The issue of IROs is not about the objection of clinicians, but that of institutions, which do not have conscience rights.
Why it matters
Many patients who end up in faith-based institutions do not share the beliefs of the organization running them and do not choose to be there – it may be the only health care facility offering specialized care they need or it may be the only health care facility in their region. To comply with institutional rules that go against their values or professional judgement, health care workers may suffer moral harm – especially when those rules ignore the best interests of their patients.
Prohibiting access to health care in a publicly funded health care facility based on religious grounds is unconstitutional. That is why Dying With Dignity Canada, acting as public interest litigant on behalf of all those who have suffered egregious harm caused by the denial of their section 7 and 2a Charter Rights has joined forces with Arvay Finlay, Gaye O’Neill and Dr. Jyothi Jayaraman to end this prohibition within all publicly funded British Columbia care facilities. Closing arguments in the case wrapped up on Friday, April 17, 2026. We anticipate that Chief Justice Skoolrood will release his decision sometime this fall.
What you can do
73% of people across Canada believe that publicly funded health care facilities should be required to provide the full range of health care services, including MAID, if they have the proper equipment and staff to do so.
Tell your local representatives
People in Canada are being denied access to MAID at publicly funded
health care facilities across the country.
Share your story
If you have experienced an obstruction (religious or not), please share your story with our team.
Meet with your MPP/MLA
We’ve designed a step-by-step guide to help you effectively communicate your thoughts and DWDC’s position on IROs to the provincial/territorial members of your legislature or assembly.
Learn more
Press Release: Forced Transfers Lawsuit
A British Columbia court challenge to end forced transfer for medical assistance in dying.
2023 poll: Support for medically assisted dying in Canada
The findings of an Ipsos poll regarding support for medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada.
Featured story
Forced transfers: Cruel and unjustified
Sam suffered through a painful, undignified forced transfer from St. Paul’s Hospital under a ‘religious umbrella’ to St. John Hospice operated under the same religious umbrella by Providence Health Care….
Empower. Inform. Protect your rights.