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 31, 2022, the committee met 14 times. At its first meeting on April 8, the Hon. Yonah Martin and the Hon. Marc Garneau were elected as Joint Chairs of the committee. Pursuant to the Orders of Reference from the House of March 30 and May 2, and from the Senate of March 31 and May 4, 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. During this time, the committee heard from 69 witnesses. On June 20, the committee presented its first report, entitled Medical Assistance in Dying and Mental Disorder as the Sole Underlying Condition: An Interim Report.

From September 1 to December 31, 2022, the committee held 17 meetings. It continued its statutory review of the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to medical assistance in dying and their application, hearing from a total of 86 witnesses. On October 5, the House agreed, at the request of the committee, to extend the deadline for the tabling of the committee’s final report to February 17, 2023. The committee finished receiving testimony on November 25 and proceeded to give drafting instructions for its final report.

During the period of January 1 to March 31, 2023, the committee continued its statutory review of the provisions of the criminal code relating to medical assistance in dying and their application. The committee presented its second and final report, entitled Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Choices for Canadians, on February 15 after holding 36 meetings and hearing from over 150 witnesses on the subject. Upon presentation of its final report, the committee ceased to exist.

Membership (as of February 15, 2023)

Hon. Yonah Martin (Senate) (Joint Chair), Hon. Marc Garneau (Joint Chair), Hon. Marie‑Françoise Mégie (Senate) (Vice-Chair), Michael Cooper (Vice‑Chair), Luc Thériault (Vice-Chair), Alistair MacGregor (Vice-Chair), Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond (Senate), Hon. Stanley Paul Kutcher (Senate), Hon. Pamela Wallin (Senate), Gary Anandasangaree, René Arseneault, Stephen Ellis, Hon. Hedy Fry, James Maloney, Dominique Vien

Expenditures (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)

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

Meetings, Witnesses, Briefs and Reports (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)

For general information on the following table, see the “Note to Reader – Meetings, Witnesses, Briefs 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 March 3, 2022.

Summary of Committee Activity

From April 1 to August 31, 2022, the committee held eight meetings. It heard from four ministers and 32 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.

During the period of September 1 to December 31, 2022, the special joint committee met 10 times and heard from 30 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 February 14, 2022, to February 23, 2022. At the final meeting of this period, the committee agreed to a motion to cease hearing witnesses and move to consideration of a draft report.

During the period of January 1 to March 31, 2023, the committee held one meeting to discuss drafting instructions for a report.

Membership (as of March 31, 2023)

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

Expenditures (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)

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

Meetings, Witnesses, Briefs and Reports (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)

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