Ban MAID for sole mental illness

AI summary

Petitioners ask the House of Commons to adopt Bill C-218 to ban MAID when mental illness is the sole underlying condition, preventing its availability from March 2027. The government responds that a temporary exclusion remains until March 2027 and a special parliamentary committee is studying MAID for sole mental illness.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons We the undersigned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: THAT MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) for a mental illness alone is set to take effect in March 2027. We believe individual mental health sufferers should receive help and support to live, rather than to die through MAID. We believe that MAID for a mental illness alone should be stopped. We concur with the proposed legislation of Bill C-218. THEREFORE, your petitioners request the House of Commons to vote in favour of adopting Bill C-218 preventing MAID on a sole mental illness basis.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is a complex and deeply personal matter with diverging views across the country. To accommodate these views, the legal framework for MAID balances different interests and societal values. In Canada, eligibility for MAID is limited to adults who meet all the eligibility criteria and procedural safeguards. To be eligible, an individual must have a grievous and irremediable medical condition, meaning that they have a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability; are in an advanced state of irreversible decline; and are experiencing intolerable and enduring suffering. Individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness, however, are not currently eligible for MAID in Canada. The temporary exclusion is scheduled to automatically expire in March 2027, in the absence of further legislation. In advance of the exclusion being lifted, a Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on MAID (AMAD) began meeting in March 2026 to study the issue of MAID where mental illness is the sole underlying condition, as required by former Bill C-62, An Act to amend An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2. The work of this committee is crucial to assessing whether we have sufficiently progressed in working out these challenges. The committee is expected to submit its final report to Parliament no later than October 2, 2026. The Government looks forward to reviewing AMAD’s report and recommendations. Additionally, the Government is committed to supporting the mental health of Canadians. We are working closely with provinces and territories to change the way the healthcare system delivers mental health services to people in Canada. As part of a $200 billion, 10-year investment (starting in 2023-24), the federal government has signed bilateral agreements with all 13 provinces and territories, including $25 billion for shared priorities such as expanding mental health and substance use services. The Government continues to consider ways to ensure that our MAID laws reflect our evolving understanding of the needs of people in Canada, support autonomy and freedom of choice, and protect those who may be vulnerable.Bill C-218, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), will follow the legislative process and will be studied and debated in accordance with rules governing Private Members Bills. The Government continues to work with all partners and stakeholders to ensure that the safety and security of vulnerable populations and individuals on this deeply personal issue is prioritized.