Canada suspends plans to expand assisted dying to people with mental illness

What the report says

Canada has indefinitely paused plans to extend its medically assisted dying regime to people whose only condition is mental illness, according to BBC World News. The decision, announced by Justice Minister Sean Fraser on Wednesday, means the proposed eligibility change will not take effect in March 2027 as previously scheduled. Fraser said the government was acting because there is no clear agreement on who would qualify under such an expansion.

The policy shift follows earlier advice from a federal parliamentary committee, which recommended that people with mental illness alone should not be included in the program. That recommendation reflected concerns among doctors, lawmakers and experts about whether some mental illnesses can be reliably assessed as irreversible, as well as whether Canada’s mental health system is ready to support such a change. Supporters of expansion argue that excluding this group denies them equal treatment and may raise constitutional and healthcare access issues.

BBC World News reported that the government will bring forward legislation in the coming weeks to formalize the indefinite pause. The bill is also expected to address “advanced requests,” allowing some patients with progressive incurable illnesses to consent to assisted dying before they lose capacity, while leaving implementation to provinces.

Assisted dying has been legal in Canada since 2016 for terminal illness and was broadened in 2021 to include some non-terminal, incurable conditions. The latest delay keeps mental illness alone outside eligibility for now, while a related court challenge continues and could shape future policy.