Yukon working on guidelines for assisted dying

Yukon doctors and government officials are busy developing guidelines around assisted suicide, even as the deadline for federal legislation is pushed back.

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada granted the federal governmentafour-month extensionto pass assisted dying legislation. The original target date wasFeb. 6.

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The court also ruled that those wishing to exercise their right to die with the help of a doctorcan, as of Feb. 6, apply to a superior court in their home province or territoryfor "relief in accordance with the criteria" set out in the high court's ruling last February.

"There is a sense of urgency in getting things organized by February 6," said RobertZimmerman, chairof the Yukon Medical Council. "There will need to be some regulatory guidelines in place."

Zimmerman said Yukon is working with other jurisdictions to ensure there is a "consistent system."

He said it's important that "everyone is really playing by the same rulebook and guidelines,and not to make some jurisdictions extremely difficult and others more loose."

Quebec's assisted dying law came into effect on Dec. 10, 2015. Last week, a health official in that province confirmed that a patientdied with theassistance of a doctor, in a Canadian legal first.