Expansion of assisted dying for mental illness to be delayed until 2024 in new bill – GLOBAL

February 2, 2023

The Trudeau government has tabled a bill that will delay by a year an expansion of medically assisted dying to people with mental disorders as their only underlying condition.

The bill seeks to delay the expansion until March 17, 2024.

Justice Minister David Lametti, who tabled the bill Thursday, announced in December that Ottawa intended to seek the delay after hearing concerns the health-care system might not be prepared for an expanded regime.

This despite the findings of a federal expert panel that determined proper safeguards are in place and a delay was not needed.

Expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was set to include patients with mental illness in March due to a two-year sunset clause that was built into an update to the MAiD law in 2021.

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/9454089/medically-assisted-dying-bill-mental-disorder/