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Alberta will not pursue legal action against health professionals “lawfully carrying out their duties” in providing medical assistance in dying.

The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service issued a directive Monday afternoon to all police chiefs and provincial Crown prosecutors that individuals such as nurses and nurse practitioners will not be prosecuted.

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A Justice Department spokesman said that ruling falls in line with current prosecution services guidelines: “Crown prosecutors proceed with charges only where there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction and it is in the public interest.”

“Given the Supreme Court decision in the Carter case and the pending federal legislation, these criteria are not met,” the spokesman said in an email.

The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta would not comment about the announcement, saying only that it would need to review the directive with its own legal team before providing its members with any recommendations.

While the federal government’s replacement legislation on assisted death makes its way through Parliament, Alberta will follow guidelines issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, which include: Two doctors must independently agree the patient meets all criteria set out by the Supreme Court; patient must be “competent throughout the process”; legal precedent recognizes mature minors as adults in their ability to consent, but recommends “a careful and conservative approach” to mature minors; doctors may refuse to provide an assisted death but have “an obligation” to provide patients with timely referrals to doctors who will perform the service; where capacity is unclear, or where a person is suffering from depression or other mental illness, a psychiatric or psychological consult is required; a period of reflection of 14 days from initial request to final consent is recommended.

With files from The Canadian Press