Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (AMAD)

Mandate

The special joint committee was appointed to undertake a review of the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to medical assistance in dying and their application, including but not limited to issues relating to mature minors, advance requests, mental illness, the state of palliative care in Canada and the protection of Canadians with disabilities.

Summary of Committee Activity

During the period of April 1 to August 15, 2021, the committee held its first meeting on May 17 and elected the Honourable Yonah Martin and the Honourable Hedy Fry as Joint Chairs of the committee. During the period of June 7 to June 21, pursuant to the orders of reference from the House of Commons on April 16, 2021 and from the Senate on April 20, 2021 and subsection 5(1) of An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), the committee undertook the statutory review of the provisions of the criminal code relating to medical assistance in dying and their application. The committee held three meetings and heard from six witnesses. The committee ceased to exist as of dissolution on August 15, 2021.

Membership — 43rd Parliament (as of dissolution on August 15, 2021)

Hon. Yonah Martin (Senate) (Joint Chair), Hon. Hedy Fry (Joint Chair), Hon. Marie‑Françoise Mégie (Senate) (Vice-Chair), Hon. Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Vice‑Chair), Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond (Senate), Hon. Stanley Paul Kutcher (Senate), Hon. Pamela Wallin (Senate), Alistair MacGregor, Luc Thériault, René Arseneault, Michael Cooper, Annie Koutrakis, James Maloney, Hon. Rob Moore, Arif Virani

Expenditures (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022)

For general information on the following table, see the “Note to Reader – Expenditures.”

Meetings, Witnesses and Reports (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022)

For general information on the following table, see the “Note to Reader – Meetings, Witnesses and Reports.”

Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (DEDC)

Mandate

On 14 February 2022, the government invoked the Emergencies Act, issuing a declaration of a public order emergency and giving the federal government certain temporary powers.

The Emergencies Act sets out the procedure by which a national emergency can be declared and by which a declaration of emergency can be confirmed, continued, amended and revoked. It also provides for a supervisory role for Parliament.

The declaration of emergency was revoked on 23 February 2022 by proclamation. Under subsection 62(1) of the Emergencies Act, a parliamentary review committee must review the “exercise of powers and the performance of duties and functions pursuant to a declaration of emergency.” Accordingly, this special joint committee was established by motion of the Senate and House of Commons on 3 March 2022.

Summary of Committee Activity

From January 1 to March 31, 2022, the committee met three times. During its first meeting, it elected three joint chairs, two vice-chairs, a deputy chair and adopted motions to organize its work, as well as its first report which was presented to the House on March 22. It subsequently held one meeting to discuss committee business and one meeting to hear witnesses as part of its study of the review of the exercise of powers and the performance of duties and functions pursuant to the declaration of emergency that was in effect from Monday, February 14, 2022, to Wednesday, February 23, 2022.

Membership — 44th Parliament (as of March 31, 2022)

Hon. Gwen Boniface (Senate) (Joint Chair), Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Joint Chair), Matthew Green (Joint Chair), Hon. Claude Carignan (Senate) (Deputy Chair), Arif Virani (Vice‑Chair), Glen Motz (Vice-Chair), Hon. Peter Harder (Senate), Hon. Vernon Darryl White (Senate), Rachel Bendayan, Larry Brock, Yasir Naqvi

Expenditures (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022)

For general information on the following table, see the “Note to Reader – Expenditures.”

Meetings, Witnesses and Reports (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022)

For general information on the following table, see the “Note to Reader – Meetings, Witnesses and Reports.”