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House Bill

Bill C-230

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 05, 2022
Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act
  • Bill C-230 is an amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada that aims to protect health care professionals from being intimidated or discriminated against for their refusal to participate in medical assistance in dying (MAID). The bill makes it an offense to intimidate a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or any other health care professional in order to force them to be involved, directly or indirectly, in providing MAID. It also makes it an offense for employers to refuse to employ or dismiss a health care professional solely because they refuse to participate in MAID. The purpose of this bill is to safeguard the freedom of conscience and religion of health care professionals who object to being involved in MAID.
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  • RA
  • Yea (114)
  • Nay (208)
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First Session, Forty-fourth Parliament,
70 Elizabeth II, 2021-2022
HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA
BILL C-230
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (intimidation of health care professionals)
FIRST READING, February 4, 2022
Mrs. Block
441089


SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to make it an offence to intimidate a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or other health care professional for the purpose of compelling them to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying.
It also makes it an offence to dismiss from employment or to refuse to employ a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or 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.
Available on the House of Commons website at the following address:
www.ourcommons.ca


1st Session, 44th Parliament,
70 Elizabeth II, 2021-2022
HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA
BILL C-230
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (intimidation of health care professionals)

Preamble

Whereas everyone has freedom of conscience and religion under section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
Whereas Parliament considers that it is in the public interest to protect the freedom of conscience of a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or other health care professional who objects to taking part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying;
And whereas a regime that would require a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or other health care professional to provide effective referral to patients could infringe on the freedom of conscience of health care professionals;
Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

Short title
1 This Act may be cited as the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act.
R.‍S.‍, c. C-46

Criminal Code

2 The Criminal Code is amended by adding the following after section 241.‍2:
Intimidation
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241.‍21 (1) Every person who, for the purpose of compelling a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or other health care professional to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying, uses coercion or any other form of intimidation is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
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Employers
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(2) Every person who refuses to employ, or dismisses from their employment, a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or 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 is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
End of inserted block
Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons