James Downer

Professor and Head of the Division of Palliative Care at the University of Ottawa, with clinical and policy expertise in medical assistance in dying (MAID) and end‑of‑life care.

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Feb 14, 2026 • 47min

"We see coercion the other way... People cannot let go of their dying family" - assisted dying around the world

Catherine Forrest, a UCSF family medicine clinician with experience delivering assisted dying in California, and James Downer, head of palliative care at the University of Ottawa, discuss international experiences with assisted dying. They compare safeguards and assessment practices. They debate concerns about coercion, disability impacts, palliative care access, oversight and prognosis criteria. They call for evidence-based review.

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