Exclude mental illness from MAID
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to pass Bill C-218 to amend the Criminal Code so that a mental illness alone is not a qualifying grievous and irremediable condition for medical assistance in dying.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would prevent MAID being offered to people whose only condition is mental illness, preserving a legal barrier against expanding eligibility.
- It recognizes that many mental illnesses are treatable and that irremediability is difficult to predict, prioritizing recovery and treatment options.
- It aims to reduce risk that vulnerable people seek MAID because of inadequate access to timely mental‑health care.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- It would categorically bar MAID for anyone with only a mental illness, possibly denying autonomous relief to competent individuals who consider their suffering intolerable.
- Some patients with long‑standing, treatment‑resistant mental illness may continue to suffer if no pathway exists to assess rare cases of irremediability.
- A blanket ban may be less effective than policies that expand timely mental‑health care, assessment capacity, or tailored safeguards for complex cases.
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 In support of M.P. Tamara Jansen's Private Members Bill C-218, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying). Whereas: The Government of Canada intends to expand medical assistance in dying (MAID) to individuals whose only medical condition is a mental illness; Mental illness is treatable, recovery is possible, and experts agree it is currently impossible to predict when a mental illness is truly irremediable; Expanding MAID in this way risks suggesting that some lives are beyond saving, while many Canadians still struggle to access timely and effective mental health care; Public concern is high, with many Canadians believing that treatment options should come before MAID and fearing that vulnerable individuals may seek MAID due to lack of care; Families and communities are concerned that people who could recover through treatment and support may instead lose their lives; Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act, would amend the Criminal Code to ensure that mental illness alone is not considered a grievous and irremediable condition for the purposes of MAID. Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Pass Bill C-218 to stop the expansion of MAID to those whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.
Government response
No government response is available yet.