Share your story
An institutional religious obstruction occurs when someone faces barriers to accessing a MAID assessment and/or provision due to obstructions imposed by the faith-based institution responsible for their care. For example, a forced transfer, when someone is forced to leave their community of care to have a MAID provision because the institution they are in refuses to allow MAID to be provided within their walls.
A legal team is preparing a court challenge to institutional religious obstructions (IRO) of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada. There are many facilities across Canada that claim a religious affiliation and – on that basis – object to MAID.
An IRO could include:
- Failure to provide information about the legal availability of MAID
- Delays in facilitating access to MAID
- Forcing a patient to transfer to another location in order to access MAID
- An outright denial of access to MAID for patients who cannot be safely transferred, and
- Any other interference with a person’s legal entitlement to MAID.
The team is gathering information about people’s experiences with IROs in order to inform the litigation and, ultimately, protect people from being harmed by IROs*. If you, a family member, or friend have been impacted by an IRO and are willing to share your story with the legal team, please complete the form below. Sharing your story may help put an end to institutional religious obstructions, and reduce barriers to accessing MAID. DWDC will provide updates as the case develops.