Canada's MAID program faces scrutiny over safeguards and expansion

Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program is facing scrutiny regarding its safeguards and expansion. Since its legalization in 2016, there have been more than 100,000 MAID deaths. Critics point to the 2021 removal of the requirement that death be ‘reasonably foreseeable’ as a significant shift in the program’s scope, which now includes individuals with serious disabilities or intolerable suffering.

Concerns regarding oversight have been highlighted by specific cases. In Ontario, a family has alleged that an elderly woman was euthanized against her will. The family, led by power of attorney Brigitte Kranendonk, claims the patient expressed confusion and regret, asking, ‘They’re going to kill me Friday?’ before the procedure was carried out.

Further discussions are underway regarding the expansion of MAID to include ‘mature minors’ and individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness, which is currently scheduled to become an eligibility criterion in March 2027.