Medical Jurisprudence Commons^™

Palliative Care: An Enforceable Canadian Human Right?, Yude M. Henteleff, Mary J. Shariff, Darcy L. Macpherson

Mary J. Shariff

This article lays out a series of approaches for establishing an enforceable human right to palliative care in Canada. The article first examines international human rights instruments to which Canada is a signatory, and concludes that they offer limited assistance to palliative care advocates. The article then examines two promising Charter challenges. The first, based on section 15, argues that since palliative care is provided unevenly to those who require it, the equality provisions of the Charter could compel equitable provision of palliative care to Canadians with life-limiting illnesses. The second is based on section 7, and argues that failure …