Canada : l’aide à mourir exclue pour les seules maladies mentales

Canada will not expand its medical assistance in dying program to include individuals whose only underlying condition is a mental illness, Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced on October 7. Fraser stated the government believes maintaining the current restriction is the correct decision.

The decision ends uncertainty regarding whether the country would allow medical assistance in dying for people with psychiatric disorders who are not suffering from terminal illnesses. An upcoming bill is expected to make this exclusion permanent, replacing a series of temporary delays with a long-term policy.

Under current laws, eligibility for the program generally requires a serious and incurable medical condition, though the condition does not have to be terminal. In 2023, medical assistance in dying represented approximately one in 20 deaths nationwide.