Canada is under international scrutiny after the Quebec College of Physicians (CMQ) suggested that euthanasia may be appropriate for newborns born with severe disabilities, prompting outrage from human rights and pro-life advocates.
The recommendation comes amid the continued expansion of Canada’s euthanasia and assisted suicide program, which has drawn increasing attention from global medical ethicists.
Speaking to the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, CMQ officials told the Daily Mail, “The CMQ reiterates that medical assistance in dying may be an appropriate treatment for babies suffering from extreme pain that cannot be relieved and who have severe malformations or serious polysymptomatic syndromes that destroy any prospect of survival.”
They framed the practice as a form of “care” under these circumstances.
The proposal has triggered strong condemnation from critics worldwide.
Wesley J. Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism, said, “Canada has jumped so enthusiastically into the euthanasia abyss that I have little doubt that infanticide will eventually be allowed there. It’s only logical. If killing is an acceptable answer to suffering, why limit the killing to adults?”
Canada’s euthanasia program has expanded rapidly since legalization in 2016.
Initially limited to terminally ill adults, Parliament repealed the requirement that a patient’s natural death be “reasonably foreseeable” in 2021, broadening access.
Legislation introduced in 2024 would allow euthanasia for mental health reasons alone by March 2027.
Parliamentary committees have also proposed making euthanasia available to minors under certain conditions and simplifying access for prisoners, LifeNews reports.
Experts warn that expanding euthanasia beyond adults could create ethical and legal challenges.
Bioethicists note that Canada would be joining only a handful of countries with infant euthanasia laws, including the Netherlands, where infants under one year deemed to suffer unbearably may legally be euthanized with parental consent.
The Atlantic observed that the Netherlands was the first country to permit euthanasia for babies since Nazi Germany in 1939, a historical context that intensifies the ethical debate.
Trudo Lemmens, a University of Toronto law professor who initially supported Canada’s assisted suicide laws, expressed concern over the normalization of euthanasia among physicians.
Speaking during the Second Reading of Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill, Lemmens warned, “One of the most worrying aspects of the Canadian experiment is it shows that once you start legalising, there is a risk that a significant number of physicians normalize this practice. It’s like putting fuel on the fire. I’m not sure it can be easily contained.”
Recent statistics illustrate the program’s growing scale.
In 2023, 15,343 Canadians died via euthanasia and assisted suicide, representing 4.7 percent of all deaths in the country.
Advocates argue that these numbers highlight the program’s acceptance among the general population, while critics warn of potential abuse and slippery slope effects.
Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, condemned the CMQ recommendation, calling it “appalling and a clear form of eugenic discrimination.
“Babies with severe disabilities deserve care, and their families need support,” she said. “Canada should not be considering euthanising its most vulnerable citizens.”
In addition to public outrage, international organizations and medical associations are weighing in.
Human rights groups have expressed concern that legalizing euthanasia for newborns could set a dangerous precedent for other countries and erode protections for vulnerable populations.
Meanwhile, some medical ethicists argue that palliative care, counseling, and family support should be prioritized over ending life, highlighting a divide in ethical perspectives.
As the debate intensifies, Canada’s euthanasia expansion raises pressing questions about medical ethics, parental rights and society’s responsibility to protect its most vulnerable members.
Supporters argue that in rare, extreme cases, euthanasia can relieve unbearable suffering, while critics fear that extending these laws to infants crosses a moral line, fundamentally altering how society values life.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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