Canada faces scrutiny over Medical Assistance in Dying safeguards

Critics are raising concerns regarding the safeguards and ethical boundaries of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program. Since its legalization in 2016, there have been more than 100,000 MAiD deaths.

Concerns have been raised about the removal of the ‘reasonably foreseeable death’ criterion in 2021, which expanded eligibility to those with serious diseases, disabilities, or intolerable suffering. Further discussions regarding the expansion of MAiD to ‘mature minors’ and individuals with mental illness—scheduled for eligibility in March 2027—have also drawn scrutiny.

Specific regional developments include Quebec allowing advance requests for those with serious illnesses that may lead to incapacity, and reports of individuals traveling between provinces, such as from Ontario to British Columbia, to access the procedure.