Canada indefinitely suspends plan to expand assisted dying to mental illness

Canada will indefinitely suspend plans to extend its medically assisted dying law to people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness, the government said, citing a lack of agreement over eligibility.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser said on Wednesday that the government considered suspension the right approach despite the absence of full consensus, according to the BBC.

A parliamentary panel recommended earlier this year that the programme, known in Canada as “MAID”, should not be expanded.

Supporters of extending access to people with mental illness alone say excluding them violates their constitutional rights and limits their access to healthcare.

A federal court case challenging the government’s earlier decision to delay access to MAID for people with mental illness remains ongoing.