Canada has indefinitely paused its plan to enable medically assisted dying (Maid) for individuals whose only medical condition is a mental illness. The move comes after a parliamentary panel earlier this year recommended that the expansion should not be implemented until a broader consensus is reached on eligibility.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the government’s decision is due to the lack of a clear, universal medical standard for determining when a mental illness is terminally irreversible. He stated that the policy will instead focus on allowing patients with progressing incurable illnesses to consent to assisted dying before they lose the capacity to do so.
Supporters argue the pause violates the constitutional rights of people with mental illness who may be experiencing intolerable suffering. Dying with Dignity, an advocacy group, called the decision “profoundly disappointing” and highlighted the suffering of those with chronic mental conditions.
A federal lawsuit continues to challenge the earlier decision to delay access to Maid for people with mental illness, and the case may be taken to the Supreme Court for a final ruling. Until then, Canadians whose sole condition is mental illness will not be able to request assisted dying by the previously planned March 2027 deadline.
