Prohibit MAID for mental illness
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to pass Bill C-218 to ensure medical assistance in dying (MAID) is not available to individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would prevent MAID being offered where recovery is possible, protecting people who might benefit from treatment or supports.
- It reflects experts' view that predicting when mental illness is irremediable is currently unreliable, so MAID should not be expanded on that basis.
- It prioritizes providing treatment and timely mental health care before considering MAID, addressing public and family concerns about premature deaths.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- It could deny MAID to people with severe, persistent mental suffering for whom other options have failed, limiting personal autonomy over end‑of‑life choices.
- Some cases of mental illness may be genuinely irremediable; a categorical exclusion might prevent relief for those rare individuals.
- A statutory ban may be rigid; improving access to mental health care and tailored safeguards might better address risks without an absolute 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 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.