Parliament's Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying released its third report in January 2024. The committee has been studying how Canada's medical assistance in dying — known as MAID — should work since Parliament first created the law a decade ago.

What MAID Is

Medical assistance in dying allows doctors to help end the life of a person who is suffering from a serious illness and meets strict conditions set by Parliament. Canada created its first MAID law in 2016. Since then, Parliament has changed the rules twice — making the conditions broader each time.

Why Parliament Paused and Asked Experts

In 2023, Parliament paused the expansion of MAID for people whose only condition is mental illness. Before allowing that to happen, Parliament wanted doctors, medical experts, and Health Canada to study whether the health care system was ready.

Experts concluded the answer was no. The health system does not have enough experience, training, or consistent standards to safely handle MAID cases based on mental illness alone.

What the Committee Is Recommending

The committee made three main points across its reports:

First, it said doctors should use one clear definition of "mental disorder" in all provinces and territories. Right now, different provinces use slightly different language, which can lead to confusion and inconsistency.

Second, it said all provinces should follow the same assessment process and standards. Health Canada created a model document showing how this could work. But provinces have not yet agreed to use it.

Third, the committee suggested that teenagers who can clearly understand their own medical situation — what doctors call "mature minors" — might be eligible for MAID in the future. This would require Parliament to change the law, and Parliament has not done so.

The Waiting Game

Parliament has not acted on most of the committee's recommendations. The pause on mental illness cases was extended for another year. Whether MAID for mental illness will ever happen is still an open question.

The broader issue is that Parliament keeps studying MAID but is slow to change the law. Experts report the problem. A committee makes a recommendation. Then nothing happens for months or years. This pattern has defined the MAID file since the beginning.