August 13, 2021  |  Ottawa Ontario  |  Health Canada                    

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is an important, sensitive and emotional issue for many Canadians. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring its laws support autonomy and freedom of choice for Canadians, and protect the vulnerable.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced the Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness, as required by the new MAID legislation which came into force on March 17, 2021. The Expert Panel will present recommendations to the Minister of Health and Minister of Justice by March 2022 on protocols, guidance and safeguards for MAID by persons who have a mental illness.

The 12 members of the Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness reflect a range of disciplines and perspectives, including clinical psychiatry, MAID assessment and provision, law, ethics, health professional training and regulation, mental health care services, in addition to people who have lived experience with mental illness.

The new MAID law requires the Ministers of Health and Justice to present the Expert Panel’s final report in Parliament shortly after receiving it, after which the Government of Canada and Parliamentarians will be responsible for determining whether further legislative changes are needed.

The Expert Panel’s recommendations will help ensure that MAID can be delivered in a safe and compassionate way to persons suffering from mental illness, and that practitioners are equipped to assess requests based on rigorous clinical standards and legally mandated safeguards to be applied consistently across Canada.