MONTREAL - A landmark report in Quebec recommends that doctors be allowed to help terminally ill patients die, in exceptional circumstances, if they want to.

The report was released Thursday in the Quebec legislature, after two years of work from the so-called Dying With Dignity Committee, a multi-partisan group of nine MNAs.

The argument for allowing euthanasia -- even in some exceptional cases -- could trigger a national debate again in Canada on the controversial issue.

The right-to-die will be strictly limited to cases in which the sick individual himself asks for such a fate and does not apply to minors.

Not only would the patient have to put their request in writing, it would have to be approved by a second independent doctor and registered with the health ministry.

The head of Quebec's college of physicians calls it a landmark document that answered all his concerns.

Assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal in Canada so the Quebec's civil code would have to be amended so that doctors could not be prosecuted.

One woman who saw her mother slowly die has given considerable thought to the issue.

Robin Farber's mother Sandra spent the last weeks of her life at her daughter's home, thanks to palliative homecare services.

"Basically I found that the palliative care was my advocate and my mother's advocate to get her the care she needed."

Robin has no regrets but reports that watching her mother suffer was difficult.

"I think had she had the option, there was no getting better there was no cure, there was nothing for her all there was excruciating pain every single minute and I think I would have asked," said Robin.

The Quebec commission on dying with dignity also recommended including clauses where, due to personal beliefs or any other concern, a doctor can opt out of the process.

But one doctor of geriatric medicine interviewed by CTV Montreal said that the recommendations could become a recipe for elder abuse.

"I see people who have vultures hanging around trying to get them to change their will, sell their home at a loss all of those things and I can just imagine the next step being, 'okay the will is changed, let's get to the doctor for the lethal prescription before the money runs out,'" said Dr. Catherine Ferrier.