A proposal to legalise euthanasia in Quebec will be put to a vote in the National Assembly next week. Bill 52, which legislates for “medical aid in dying,” and would allow any adult to request to be killed, is expected to pass.

The bill has been strongly criticised. Archbishop Christian Lepine of Montreal, in his World Day of the Sick message, said that “In hastening a person’s death, … we are not helping them in dying, we are directly ending their life. It is to give our doctors the authority to kill patients who are vulnerable in certain circumstances.”

Opponents argue that the legislature’s focus should instead be on insuring that proper palliative care is available for all dying patients. Eighty-eight percent of doctors in the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians (CSPCP) oppose the legalisation of euthanasia.

Bill 52 draws widespread public support, but research by IPSOS reveals that only 33% of Quebecers are aware that “medical aid in dying” refers to Euthanasia.

The bill has also drawn criticism on the basis that euthanasia is illegal in Canada’s criminal code – a 2010 proposal to legalise it nationally was defeated by a large margin in parliament. The federal government have said they will “review” the code if the Quebec bill passes.

Meanwhile, Belgium’s bill legalising Euthanasia for children is being voted on today. According to CBS News, this week an “open letter” carrying the names of 160 Belgian pediatricians was issued to argue against the new law. The doctors said there is no need for it and that modern medicine is capable of soothing the pain of even the sickest children.