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News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Extending euthanasia to include mental health conditions: will Canada have a change of heart?
Ten years after assisted dying was legalised in Canada, the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), established in 2021, was tasked with reviewing eligibility for MAID for people whose sole health condition is a mental illness, following motions in the Senate and the House of Commons.
News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
France: Will the government force through the euthanasia bill?
The French bill on ‘assisted dying’ has just entered its third reading in the National Assembly. Whilst a consensus between MPs and senators on the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide seems increasingly...
News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Bereavement leave in the event of euthanasia: will it be possible to change one’s mind?
In Belgium, workers are entitled to special leave for certain family events, civil obligations or legal proceedings. Bereavement leave, the duration of which depends on the relationship to the deceased, is one such form...
News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Alberta (Canada): a setback for the expansion of euthanasia?
With Bill 18,the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, the Canadian province of Alberta intends to restrict access to medical assistance in dying (MAID). Introduced in March 2026 and passed at third...
News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Euthanasia in cases of advanced dementia: a further extension of Belgian law?
When, in November 2025, Belgium’s Bioethics Advisory Committee issued an opinion in favour of extending euthanasia to cases of advanced dementia, it was expected that such a stance would reignite parliamentary debate on this contentious issue. Appearing on VRT on 21 April, Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) confirmed her intention...
News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
United Kingdom – Assisted suicide bill fails: ‘We need more care, not more deaths’
The bill to decriminalise assisted suicide in England and Wales was ultimately not passed. Friday 24 April, the final day of the parliamentary session, marked the end of lengthy debates in the House of Lords, which had...
News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
A 50% rise in euthanasia cases over three years in Belgium: is death on demand a remedy for old age and dependency?
On 20 March, the Federal Commission for the Control and Evaluation of Euthanasia in Belgium (CFCEE) released the figures relating to euthanasia cases reported in 2025.
The number of euthanasia cases officially carried...
News Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Scotland – Rejection of the assisted suicide bill: a strong signal at European level?
On 17 March 2026, the Scottish Parliament rejected the “Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill” at its third reading, by 69 votes to 57. This vote brings to an end a legislative process lasting nearly two years,...
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All the news
Extending euthanasia to include mental health conditions: will Canada have a change of heart?
Genetic modification of human embryos: a gateway to eugenics?
France: Will the government force through the euthanasia bill?
Bereavement leave in the event of euthanasia: will it be possible to change one’s mind?
Belgium – Proposed liberalisation of abortion laws: 12, 14 or 18 weeks – a scientific question or an ethical choice?
Belgium: care for people with disabilities under scrutiny from the UN
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