Children Have a Right to Decide Own Medical Treatment

There is no age of majority when it comes to health-care decisions in Ontario and most of Canada Elyse Sunshine tells AdvocateDaily.com.

The Canadian Press (CP) recently reported on the scheduling of an inquest into the death of a 16-year-old British Columbia boy who overdosed on painkillers, despite his parents' concerns that they weren't allowed a say when it came to his use of prescribed opioids.

But, the age of the child will likely have little bearing on the coroner’s findings, says Sunshine.

“Regardless of their age, children are treated by medical professionals in the same way as any other person, as long as they are capable of making their own decisions,” she says. “Whether the child was actually capable may be an issue in this case.”