As a specialty community legal clinic, ARCH’s systemic advocacy and law reform activities involve working alongside our communities in efforts to change laws and policies as well as analyzing and commenting on the impact of current and proposed laws and practices from a disability perspective. ARCH makes oral and written submissions to all levels of government, legislative committees, administrative bodies, tribunals, agencies, and human rights commissions. In conducting this work, ARCH often consults with other disability rights groups, members of our communities, and other specialty and community legal clinics.
Visit our submissions and statements page to view our recent and archived law reform submissions.
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
In March 2021, Canada expanded eligibility for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). MAiD is no longer only for people who are near the end of life. People with disabilities, illnesses or diseases who are suffering and who meet the other criteria in the law can be found eligible and receive medical assisted death.
People with disabilities have died by MAiD because they are living in poverty, could not get healthy housing, specialized medical care or disability services they needed to live with dignity in the community. Canada’s MAiD law continues to cause deep distress for many disability communities in Ontario and across Canada. ARCH continues to work with disability communities to reform Canada’s expansion on MAiD.
Key Submissions, News & Publications on MAiD
- Aug 2024 (Journal Article): ARCH staff lawyer Kerri Joffe contributes testimonial statement & article to Canadian Journal of Disability Studies Special Issue: “Medical Assistance In Dying: Resistance in Canada”.
- Feb 2024 (Media Press Conference): Disability Rights Organizations urge Parliament not to expand MAiD to Mental Health Disabilities. Access CPAC Recording.
- Nov 2023 (Submission): Submission to Special Joint Committee on MAiD regarding study on MAiD for mental disorders. Access Submission.
- Oct 2023 (Media): ARCH lawyer interviewed on rise in MAiD deaths linked to health & housing barriers. Read Canadian Affairs Article.
- July 2023 (Book Chapter): Kerri Joffe & Roberto Lattanzio, “Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Law and the Rights to Life and Equality at International Law” in MAID in Canada: Key Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, 2023).
- March 2023 (Panel Response): Response to AMAD MAiD Report by Expert Witnesses. Download PDF Statement.
- Sept 2022 (International Hearing Request): Request to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for thematic hearing on MAiD discrimination. Read Coalition Request.
- May 2021 (UN Submission): ARCH submission to UN Human Rights Committee on Canada’s MAiD Law & International Law Rights. Download Submission Document.
- Nov 2020 (Senate Submission): Pre-study submission to Senate Standing Committee on Bill C-7. Read Senate Brief.
Latest MAiD Updates & Publications Feed
Civil Society Reporting to the United Nations
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), State Parties to the treaty agree to report to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities about the progress the State Party (Canada) has made in ensuring the rights set out in the CRPD are upheld. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an elected body of independent experts, also allows civil society, non-governmental organizations and voluntary citizen’s groups, to submit reports to be read. These additional reports go by a variety of names including “parallel reports”.
Through the information submitted in reports by the Canadian government and civil society, as well as through questions asked to representatives of the Canadian government and civil society during in-person meetings, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities creates what is called the Concluding Observations. Concluding Observations detail both the areas in which a State Party has made positive actions to ensure CRPD rights as well as concerns and recommendations the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has based on the information they reviewed.
The Concluding Observations highlight areas in which State Parties are successfully ensuring CRPD rights and areas where the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is concerned that the State Party under review is not adequately upholding CRPD rights. In addition to pointing out areas of concern, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provide recommendations on how the State Party under review can improve their CRPD implementation.
Concluding Observations are not legally binding documents but they are an essential advocacy tool for disability rights advocates to use to demonstrate areas where Canada needs to improve to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities.
Parallel Reporting provides non-governmental organizations and members of disability communities the opportunity to share important information from community perspectives that then supports the creation of Concluding Observations.
ARCH served as a co-coordinator of the civil society’s participation in both reporting cycles, and co-authored and co-coordinated the 2016 and 2025 Canada Civil Society Parallel Reports submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These reports served an important role in United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ reviews of Canada and contributed to ongoing disability rights activism at the international level. ARCH and partners also made submissions to the United Nations Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, during the United Nations’ dialogue with Canada.
2025: Civil Society Parallel Report submitted for Canada’s 2nd and 3rd review by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Civil Society Parallel Report for Canada Report was prepared by the Canadian Civil Society Parallel Report Group, a group of 53 Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs) and civil society groups that represent a cross-section of persons with disabilities across Canada.
The Report provides a response to most articles of the CRPD within the context of the List of Issues for Canada, Canada’s Report, and the 2017 Concluding Observations made in response to the 1st Parallel Report. The Parallel Report highlights key concerns of disability communities, including: Track Two MAiD, substitute decision-making, intersectional discrimination, insufficient jurisdictional coordination, and disproportionate poverty experienced by persons with disabilities.
2016: Civil Society Parallel Report submitted for Canada’s 1st review by the CRPD Committee
The Canadian Civil Society Parallel Report Group was an ad hoc group comprised of sixteen Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs) and supporters, representing a cross-section of Canadians with disabilities. In December of 2015, Canadian DPOs met in Ottawa to review preliminary comments on Canada’s Report, and to consider mechanisms for the preparation of submissions to the CRPD Committee as it prepared the List of Issues (LOI) and a subsequent parallel report. This report sought to provide responses to selected priority areas identified by the committee in its September 2016 “List of Issues. For Canada.”
Latest UN CRPD Civil Society Feed
COVID-19 Disability Advocacy
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ARCH Disability Law Centre published research, policy submissions, and legal toolkits to advocate for persons with disabilities facing systemic barriers across Education, Healthcare, Developmental Services, and Vaccine Distribution.
Explore COVID-19 Advocacy Resources
Access our dedicated repository of COVID-19 legal updates, hospital triage guidelines, accessible education rights, and vaccine priority advocacy documents.