Revoke MAID for mental illness
Petitioners ask the House of Commons to support Bill C-218 to revoke the law allowing medical assistance in dying for people whose sole medical condition is a mental illness.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would protect people whose only medical condition is mental illness from access to MAID when treatment and supports are unavailable, reducing risk of deaths tied to untreated or treatable mental‑health crises.
- It emphasizes provision of treatment and support rather than MAID, directing policy toward care for people with mental illness as the petitioners request.
- It lowers the likelihood that suicidal symptoms or temporary crises lead to irreversible MAID decisions before adequate assessment and treatment.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- It removes an option for people with severe, treatment‑resistant mental illness who judge their suffering irremediable, limiting personal autonomy over end-of-life choices.
- It could prolong suffering where mental-health care is inaccessible, since repealing eligibility does not itself expand treatment availability.
- A broad repeal may be blunt; targeted safeguards, stricter assessments or improving supports could mitigate risks without an outright prohibition.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons, WHEREAS Canadians with mental illness should be provided with treatment and support; Mental illness is complex and can include suicidal thoughts as a symptom; The lives of Canadians with mental illness will be at risk when they are eligible for medical assistance in dying (MAID) on the basis of mental illness alone, especially when treatment and support are not readily available. Therefore we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to support Bill C-218 which would reverse the law extending eligibility for MAID to people with mental illness as their sole medical condition.
Government response
No government response is available yet.