Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC) was a

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

regulatory agency that was established in 2006 to protect and promote the

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

dignity Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. It is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable ...

and

rights Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory ...

Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

who use or are born of assisted human reproduction technologies."Assisted human reproduction and the law"
''CBC News'', Apr 22, 2012 AHRC was created to administer the 2004 Assisted Human Reproduction Act, including gathering information about reproductive technologies and related issues, and disseminating this information to the Ministry of Health, to interested organizations, and to members of the public.
Canadian Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy: The Innovation Economy and Society Nexus
'. McGill-Queen's University Press; 2016. . p. 298–. AHRC was also tasked with fostering an

environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

in which

ethical Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

principles A principle is a proposition or value that is a guide for behavior or evaluation. In law, it is a rule that has to be or usually is to be followed. It can be desirably followed, or it can be an inevitable consequence of something, such as the law ...

are applied in all matters related to assisted human reproduction, while supporting scientific advances that benefit Canadians. The agency was led by a President and governed by a Board of Directors.

History

In 1989, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney founded the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies. Commissioners spent four years examining assisted human reproduction (AHR) activities in Canada. They heard from 40,000

, including

doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

, medical organizations,

patients A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health care ...

and other interested parties, before issuing their final report, "Proceed with Care," in 1993. The report called on the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

to ban activities such as payment for sperm or

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

, commercial surrogacy and

human cloning Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy (or clone) of a human. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning, which is the reproduction of human cells and tissue. It does not refer to the natural concepti ...

. It also recommended the establishment of an independent regulatory body to govern permissible AHR activities. On March 29, 2004, Bill C-6, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act received

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...

and became law. Provisions of the Act

come into force In law, coming into force or entry into force (also called commencement) is the process by which legislation, regulations, treaties and other legal instruments come to have legal force and effect. The term is closely related to the date of this t ...

on the day fixed by order of the

Governor in Council The King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it would mean the monarch exercising executive authority, usually in the form of a ...

. The provisions relating to the prohibitions (sections 5 to 9) and the controlled activities remain in force (except for section 12 relating to reimbursement of AHR related expenditures.) Assisted Human Reproduction Canada was established on January 12, 2006 to administer the '' Assisted Human Reproduction Act''.Stephanie Paterson.
Fertile Ground: Exploring Reproduction in Canada
'. MQUP; June 2014. . p. 164–. On December 21, 2006, the

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

announced the

appointment Appointment may refer to: Law *The prerogative power of a government official or executive to select persons to fill an honorary position or employment in the government (political appointments, poets laureate) * Power of appointment, the legal ...

. by the Governor in Council. of a President, a Chairperson and members of the Board of Directors. The President took office on February 14, 2007. The final head of the agency was President Dr.

Elinor Wilson Elinor Wilson was the president of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada, between February 14, 2007, and September 30, 2012. Education Wilson has a Master of Health Sciences degree from McMaster University, and PhD in administration management from ...

, who served from February 14, 2007 until September 30, 2012. In 2010, in response to an appeal from the

Quebec Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal of Quebec (sometimes referred to as Quebec Court of Appeal or QCA) (in French: ''la Cour d'appel du Québec'') is the highest judicial court in Quebec, Canada. It hears cases in Quebec City and Montreal. History The Court wa ...

, the Supreme Court of Canada made a ruling that significantly reduced the federal role in assisted human reproduction. On March 29, 2012, during the federal budget announcement, it was announced that Assisted Human Reproduction Canada would be closed.Margaret Ward.
The Family Dynamic: Canadian Perspectives, 6e
'. Nelson Education; 7 March 2014. . p. 148–. Its responsibilities were transferred to Health Canada, with final closure of operations by March 31, 2013. The government's intention was to streamline federal functions related to assisted human reproduction and to save money.http://www.budget.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.html Budget document of the Government of Canada, March 2012

Roles and responsibilities

AHRC's mandate and responsibilities were set out in the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. The Agency's essential functions included: *Issuing and reviewing licences under the AHR Act *Carrying out inspections and enforcement related to activities prohibited or controlled under the AHR Act *Collecting, analysing and managing health reporting information relating to controlled activities *Providing information to the public and professions on AHR and other matters under the Act, including risk factors associated with infertility *Providing advice to the Minister of Health on issues relating to assisted human reproduction *Monitoring and evaluating scientific and clinical developments within Canada and internationally on AHR and other matters to which the Act applies *Consulting persons and organizations within Canada and internationally *Maintaining relationships with international bodies with an interest in the quality, safety and ethical practices of fertility procedures.

Governance

Assisted Human Reproduction Canada was established as a Departmental Corporation (Schedule II under the Financial Administration Act) and reported to

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

through the

. AHRC was governed by a Board of Directors of up to 13 members, including the

Chairperson The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

and the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

, which legally had to meet at least twice each year. Board members were appointed by the

. The Board was expected to provide advice to the Minister of Health on matters related to assisted human reproduction, to oversee and approve the organization's goals, operational policies and budget, and to evaluate AHRC's performance.
Becoming Biosubjects: Bodies. Systems. Technology.
'. University of Toronto Press; 1 January 2011. . p. 96–.

References

External links

Assisted Human Reproduction CanadaFrequently Asked Questions about Assisted Human Reproduction Canada
Government of Canada

{{authority control Federal departments and agencies of Canada Former Canadian federal departments and agencies Health Canada 2006 establishments in Canada Government agencies established in 2006 Government agencies disestablished in 2012 2012 disestablishments in Canada

History

Roles and responsibilities

Governance

See also

References

External links