EXPLAINER: The Upcoming Expansion of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Law

Canada is moving ahead to make it legal for those suffering from mental illness to use MAID to end their lives.

A 60-year-old woman suffering from cancer rests in a hospital palliative care unit. Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images

Canada is forging ahead with its plan to make it legal for those suffering from mental illness to seek help in ending their lives.

The move comes after the failure of a private member’s bill that sought to block Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) from being made available as of March 17, 2024, to those suffering solely from mental illness.