Canada's federal government said Wednesday it would advance legislation to indefinitely bar people whose sole health condition is mental illness from accessing medical assistance in dying (Maid). The ruling Liberal party framed the move as addressing a growing clash over who has access to physician-assisted death in the country.
Under current rules, people with mental illness as their only underlying medical condition have been barred from Maid. That ban was scheduled to expire in March. The proposed legislation would make the restriction permanent rather than allowing the expansion to proceed.
The government's announcement reflects a divide among Canadian lawmakers. Some have opposed expanding Maid eligibility to people with mental illness alone, while others have supported the planned expansion.
Medical assistance in dying became available in Canada in 2021. The program initially covered only people with reasonably foreseeable natural deaths. Parliament later expanded eligibility to include people with incurable conditions causing enduring physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved.
The debate over mental illness as a sole basis for Maid touches on questions about diagnosis, treatment alternatives and irreversibility. Medical organizations and advocacy groups have submitted opposing positions on whether mental illness meets the threshold for Maid eligibility.