OTTAWA — Justice Minister Sean Fraser has introduced federal legislation aimed at reshaping Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) regime, proposing an indefinite exclusion for individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.
Accompanied by Health Minister Marjorie Michel in Ottawa, Fraser tabled Bill C-41, known as the MAID Safeguards Act. The proposed 12-page bill responds to persisting disagreement among experts regarding whether practitioners can safely assess individuals seeking MAID exclusively for mental illness.
In addition to addressing mental illness eligibility, the bill introduces a framework for advance directives. This allows adults diagnosed with capacity-limiting diseases, such as Alzheimer's, to outline future requests for MAID. However, implementation remains subject to each province and territory's discretion, and approvals under advance requests will not automatically proceed if the individual later shows contentment, lacks distress, or resists the procedure.
Federal officials stressed the urgent need to pass the legislation before the current temporary exclusion expires, noting that provisions also seek to streamline federal data reporting and reduce administrative burdens for practitioners.
