Canadian Medical Association Files Constitutional Challenge Against Alberta Trans Youth Care Law

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA), representing over 75,000 physicians, is filing a constitutional challenge against Alberta's Bill 26, which restricts medical treatment for transgender youth by prohibiting puberty blockers and hormone therapies for those under 16 and banning gender-reassignment surgeries for minors. The CMA argues that the legislation infringes on physicians' freedom of conscience and clinical autonomy, forcing doctors to prioritize legal mandates over clinical guidelines and patient needs. The Alberta Medical Association strongly supports this legal action, emphasizing the moral distress physicians face when barred from providing evidence-based care. Physicians providing gender-affirming care describe the law as placing them in a moral crisis and harming a vulnerable patient population already facing discrimination and mental health challenges. Alberta's government defends Bill 26 as a measure to protect children from irreversible decisions. The CMA warns that such political interference in healthcare could extend to other areas, such as vaccination and reproductive health, and underscores the importance of preserving the doctor-patient relationship and professional autonomy.