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Bill C-7 to expand Medical Assistance in Dying

05 October 2020
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UPDATE MARCH 2021: Parliament passed Bill C-7 into law March 18, 2021. This bill expands euthanasia to allow people who are not dying to be considered eligible for hastened death. Bill C-7 also removes some key safeguards for people who are at the end of life, such as the 10-day reflection period. This new law also means that, starting March 2023, MAID will become available for people with mental illness alone.


Issue summary

Bill C-7 is now law. It allows assisted death for Canadians who are not dying, having removed the previous requirement that a person’s death must be “reasonably foreseeable” in order to be eligible for assisted suicide and euthanasia.

For those whose death is reasonably foreseeable, Bill C-7 also removed some key safeguards that were established in 2016, such as a 10-day reflection period between the request and the hastened death, and the requirement that a person is able to consent at the time of the hastened death in certain circumstances. The bill also sets additional conditions for hastened death for those who are not dying.

Amendments proposed by the Senate made this deeply flawed bill even worse, bringing in an addition to allow euthanasia for those with mental illness alone. Parliament's acceptance of these amendments means that, starting in March 2023, MAID will become available for people with mental illness alone.

The bill requires that a parliamentary committee be formed to hold a comprehensive review of medical assistance in dying in Canada, including issues relating to mature minors, advance requests, mental illness, the state of palliative care in Canada and the protection of Canadians with disabilities.

For issues around protecting medical professionals from being forced to participate in euthanasia, see TheEFC.ca/Conscience.

The EFC encourages supporters to express your concern for vulnerable Canadians, such as individuals with disabilities, to your MP and Provincial Senators.


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