“As we are sure you are aware, many within the disabled community believe the lives of persons with disabilities will be put in jeopardy should there be any change in the Criminal Code prohibition against assisted suicide or euthanasia,” said an Aug. 14 letter to Justice Minister Peter MacKay signed by the heads of the Canadian Association for Community Living, Council of Canadians with Disabilities, the DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada and People First of Canada.

The letter takes aim at Quebec’s Bill-52 that circumvents the Criminal Code, which is federal, by putting euthanasia under provincial jurisdiction as “health care” under the euphemism “medical aid in dying.” The four groups insist both euthanasia and assisted suicide should remain under federal jurisdiction.

“Should it be determined that the federal and provincial governments can be said to have concurrent legislative power over some end-of-life matters, the Criminal Code provisions and Quebec Bill-52 are clearly inconsistent, and to the extent of that inconsistency, the federal legislation must be declared paramount,” the letter says.

“To leave the matter unaddressed by the courts, even for a short period of time, would leave life and death decisions affecting persons with disabilities in a state of uncertainty. Absolute clarity is required when the lives of citizens are at stake.

“We respectfully request the Government of Canada to clearly assert its jurisdiction over these matters, and to seek judicial review of Bill-52, including an interim stay of its offending provisions,” the groups write.

This came as the Canadian Medical Association was debating physician-assisted suicide at its annual convention in Calgary. A panel discussed the issue Aug. 19, with association president Dr. Anna Reid saying just like the average Canadian, doctors are divided on the issue.

“This is the reason we are having the debate,” she said.

Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose was in attendance at the convention and said the government has no plans to change the law to make euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide legal. She noted that Parliament made that decision when it was brought up in 2010 and that it had no intention of altering its course.

The Quebec government will hold hearings in the fall on its right-to-die legislation.