[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Bill%20O%27Reilly%20repeatedly%20claims%20that%20Canada%20is%20one%20of%20seven%20countries%20that%20allow%20infants%20to%20be%20killed%20on%20the%20birthing%20table.%20I%20don%27t%20believe%20this%20to%20be%20true.%20Can%20you%20clarify%2C%20please%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s a fact\u2010based breakdown of the claim that \u201cCanada is one of seven countries that allow infants to be killed on the birthing table,\u201d often attributed to Bill O\u2019Reilly and others. The evidence does **not** support that claim.\n\n---\n\n## What Canadian law **does** say\n\n1. **Child becomes a \u201chuman being\u201d at birth**  \n   Under Canada\u2019s *Criminal Code* (section 223), a \u201cchild becomes a human being \u2026 when it has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother \u2026 whether or not it has breathed \u2026 or the navel string is severed.\u201d ([laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-223.html?utm_source=openai))  \n   This means that once a child is fully delivered (i.e. fully out of the mother's body), it is recognized as a human under the law. Any intentional killing after that is a form of homicide. ([laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-223.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n2. **Infanticide as a limited defence for maternal mental disturbance**  \n   There is a law for \u201cinfanticide\u201d (Criminal Code section 237) which reduces the charge (compared to murder) for a mother who, due to the effects of giving birth or of lactation, causes the death of her newly born child while her mind is disturbed. Key points:\n   \u2022 This law applies only to mothers. ([statutes.ca](https://www.statutes.ca/r-s-c-1985-c-c-46/237?utm_source=openai))  \n   \u2022 It requires a \u201cnewly born child,\u201d i.e. one born alive but less than one year old, and a specific mental disturbance connected to birth/lactation. ([lois-laws.justice.gc.ca](https://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/fra/Lois/C-46/page-36.html?utm_source=openai))  \n   \u2022 It does **not** allow outright, intentional killing of infants under normal circumstances without legal consequences. Murder or homicide statutes still apply in most cases. ([laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-223.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n3. **Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)**  \n   Canada\u2019s assisted dying law is strictly for adults (18+), who are mentally competent and suffering grievously. MAID does **not** apply to infants. ([canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/medical-assistance-dying.html?utm_source=openai))  \n   A petition in 2024 attempted to expand euthanasia to infants \u201cfrom birth to one year,\u201d but the Canadian government officially rejected that. ([ourcommons.ca](https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=441-02594&utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## What the claim \u201cinfants allowed to be killed on the birthing table\u201d **means**, in context of this law\n\n- The idea behind this claim is likely tied to the \u201cborn\u2010alive rule\u201d (once delivery is complete, the baby is legally a person), and the fact that abortion is legal in Canada under certain conditions, including late in pregnancy for medical reasons.  \n- Sometimes confusion arises when people misinterpret sections of abortion law, medical\u2010assistance\u2010in\u2010dying law, or the law around infanticide to imply permission for killing infants after birth\u2014but *none of those legal frameworks grant that.* The law is quite clear: killing a baby after birth is homicide unless a very narrow defence (infanticide) applies, and only for mothers under specific circumstances. There is **no legal allowance** for killing newborn infants simply because of birth defects or parental request.  \n\n---\n\n## What the evidence does **not** show\n\n- Canada does **not** legally allow the practice of killing newborn infants \u201con the birthing table\u201d as a generalized policy.  \n- There is **no law** permitting euthanasia of infants. MAID rules require adults and consent, which infants cannot give. ([canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/medical-assistance-dying.html?utm_source=openai))  \n- The infanticide defence only applies in very specific mental health impairment circumstances for mothers. It is *not* a blanket permission for infant killing. ([lois-laws.justice.gc.ca](https://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/fra/Lois/C-46/page-36.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## Conclusion\n\nBill O\u2019Reilly\u2019s claim that Canada allows infants to be \u201ckilled on the birthing table\u201d is **false** as a legal matter. Canadian law requires a child to be fully born to be recognized as a human being, treats any killing of a child post\u2010birth as homicide except under rare, specific circumstances (infanticide), and does **not** allow MAID for infants.\n\nIf you like, I can also check whether Canada is among a list of countries alleged elsewhere to allow infant euthanasia, and examine those claims."
    }
]