Canada to extend assisted dying exclusion for people whose sole condition is mental illness

Canada's federal government announced on Wednesday that it will advance legislation to prevent individuals whose sole health condition is mental illness from accessing euthanasia. This move by the ruling Liberal Party aims to address the ongoing debate regarding access to physician-assisted death in the country.

Under existing rules, individuals whose only underlying medical condition is a mental illness have been barred from accessing medical assistance in dying (MAID). This ban, initially set to be lifted in March, has sparked division among lawmakers regarding the potential expansion of the MAID program.

Sean Fraser, the justice minister, stated that the government would indefinitely prohibit access to the program for those with mental illness as their sole condition. He acknowledged the lack of a "perfect consensus" on the issue but emphasized that the upcoming legislation reflects the "correct" approach.

Earlier this year, a government committee recommended expanding access to MAID while also suggesting the indefinite exclusion of individuals whose only underlying condition is a mental illness. The report highlighted the necessity for "increased and more equitable access" to mental health services.

Canada's MAID laws were established following a 2015 Supreme Court decision, which initially allowed only terminally ill patients to be eligible for the procedure. In 2019, a ruling by a Quebec judge deemed it unconstitutional to restrict access solely to those with a "reasonably foreseeable death," prompting federal lawmakers to amend and broaden the existing laws.