Assisted dying will require two independent witnesses, says Health PEI

Islanders who want assistance dying will need two independent witnesses for the request to be considered, Health PEI confirmed to CBC News Wednesday. 

The Island's health authority has drafted, and is now reviewing its own regulations in response to the Supreme Court of Canada decision that made assisted dying legal as of June 6. 

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In the meantime the College of Physician and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island is handling any requests from Islanders. The college's guidelines also require two independent witnesses.

Let's be honest here, we're talking about ending a life.— Dr. Tom Dorran, Health PEI 

Health PEI confirmed it will follow the P.E.I. college's lead.

Right now, P.E.I. is the only jurisdiction in Canada asking for two independent witnesses. Most require only one independent witness, and in some cases no witnesses are needed at all. 

Important safeguard 

Health PEI's acting executive director of medical affairs, Dr. Tom Dorran, says it's a safeguard in the federal legislation.

"Let's be honest here, we're talking about ending a life. So we have to have the appropriate checks and balances in place to make sure that this process is well and truly what the patient wants and that it is done in an absolutely transparent manner," said Dorran.

"That there's no undue influence on the patient. That there's no beneficiary that may be involved in this process. So this is what we've chosen to go forward with, to make sure this is a robust, transparent, free of any undo influence process."  

Dorran doesn't believe this will stand in the way of valid requests. He says witnesses can be a friend, a pastor, or any member of the community who knows the person making the request but won't benefit directly from their death. 

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Reaching out to doctors 

Health PEI hopes to have its regulations finalized and approved by its board this fall.

That work includes compiling a list of doctors comfortable with assisting their own patients or patients referred to them from a doctor not comfortable with performing the procedure. 

Health PEI said its regulations could change once Health Canada releases its rules around assisted dying, regulations that are still in the works. 

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