Exclude mental illness from MAID
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to support and pass Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act, to prevent MAID eligibility (from 2027) for people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.
Why we would sign this petition
- It prevents MAID being offered to people whose sole medical condition is a mental illness, protecting vulnerable individuals who might recover with appropriate treatment and support.
- It prioritizes timely access to appropriate mental-health treatment, supports and suicide-prevention services as alternatives to assisted death.
- It affirms a public message emphasizing hope and recovery rather than presenting MAID as a response to mental-health suffering.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- It bars MAID for anyone whose sole condition is mental illness, which could deny relief to some patients whose suffering is irremediable despite treatment.
- A categorical exclusion is blunt; carefully designed safeguards and assessment processes might better protect vulnerable people while preserving choice for those with truly irremediable conditions.
- It may limit competent adults’ autonomy by removing access to MAID even when clinical criteria for irremediability and unbearable suffering are met.
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 GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Whereas: The Government of Canada intends to expand eligibility for medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2027 to individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness; Mental illness is treatable, recovery is possible, and it can be difficult to predict when a mental illness is truly irremediable; Canadians suffering from mental illness should have timely access to appropriate treatment, support, and suicide prevention services; Expanding MAID to individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness risks offering assisted death to vulnerable Canadians who could recover with appropriate treatment and support; Canadians experiencing mental illness deserve a message of hope and recovery, rather than assisted death being presented as a response to their suffering; and 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 medical condition for the purposes of MAID. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to support and pass Bill C- 218, the Right to Recover Act, to prevent the expansion of MAID to individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.
Government response
No government response is available yet.