Canada says it will indefinitely suspend plans to expand its medically assisted dying law to people whose sole condition is mental illness, citing a lack of consensus on eligibility.
The decision follows a parliamentary panel’s recommendation earlier this year that such an expansion should not proceed.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced the pause, stating that while consensus is imperfect, the government believes this is the right path.
Proponents argue that excluding those with mental illness would violate constitutional rights and restrict access to health care. A federal court case remains pending, challenging the earlier delay in granting MAiD to mental‑illness patients.
The announcement means Canadians for whom mental illness is the sole condition will no longer have access to assisted dying by the previously slated March 2027 deadline.
Fraser said the new legislation, to be introduced soon, will also allow patients with incurable, progressing conditions to request assisted dying before their health deteriorates beyond the ability to consent—a practice currently illegal.
MAiD has been legal in Canada since 2016 for those with terminal illnesses, now encompassing a broader group under a "track two" system after Quebec’s court‑ordered expansion in 2021. Nonetheless, disability advocacy groups worry about potential abuse of the system.
Canada was initially set to expand MAiD to mental‑illness patients in 2023 but delayed twice to study the implications.
