Prohibit MAID beyond six months
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to prohibit medical assistance in dying for people whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, specifically banning MAID when the prognosis for natural death exceeds six months.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would protect people with disabilities or chronic illness from being offered MAID when death is not imminent, reducing pressure that could devalue their lives.
- It reduces the risk that MAID is chosen because of lack of available services or treatments rather than a genuine, informed choice.
- It maintains incentives to improve treatments and social supports by removing MAID as a perceived "solution" for non‑imminent conditions.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- It restricts access for people with intolerable suffering who are not near death, limiting autonomy and available relief options.
- It may force individuals to endure prolonged suffering when effective relief or timely improvements in care are unavailable.
- A rigid six‑month cutoff could be arbitrary and may not reflect individual prognoses or the complex trajectories of chronic conditions.
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: Choosing medical assistance in dying (MAID) due to lack of available services or treatments is not a real choice; Allowing medical assistance in dying for those with disabilities or chronic illness who are not dying devalues their lives, tacitly endorsing the notion that life with disability is optional, and by extension, dispensable; Offering medical assistance in dying as a "solution" for disability or chronic illness reduces incentives to improve treatment and care for people with these conditions; Canadians do not want an ableist healthcare system where the lives of those with disabilities are seen as not worth living; Many disability advocates in Canada have expressed opposition to allowing MAID for people with disabilities. Therefore we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: Protect all Canadians whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable by prohibiting medical assistance in dying for those whose prognosis for natural death is more than six months.
Government response
No government response is available yet.