Canada Set to Amend Medical Assistance in Dying Law

Canada's federal government is preparing changes to its medical assistance in dying (MAID) framework, including provisions that would prevent eligibility where a mental illness is the person's sole underlying medical condition.

The proposed amendments also address advance consent, which could allow eligible adults with an incurable illness to make arrangements for a future assisted death if they later lose the capacity to make the decision, subject to safeguards.

Mental Illness and Eligibility

The government has previously said it will not proceed with expanding MAID eligibility to people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. The issue has been the subject of sustained parliamentary and public debate.

Advance Consent and Safeguards

Advance consent raises complex questions about autonomy, capacity and how a person's wishes can be reliably established if their condition changes.

The proposed legislation will need to be considered through Canada's parliamentary process. Its final wording and legal effect will depend on the bill's passage and any amendments made during that process.