Law expanding access to medical aid in dying divides Canadians

Canada’s system will extend to people whose death is not ‘reasonably foreseeable’, prompting fears among some advocates.

Halifax, Canada – Changes to Canada’s assisted dying regime have divided the country, with advocates hailing “a momentous day for end-of-life rights” and critics warning of heightened risks for the most vulnerable citizens. The passage this month of Bill C-7 means that medical assistance in dying (MAID), previously restricted only to those with a “reasonable foreseeability of natural death”, will be more widely accessible in Canada. The law expands the country’s MAID regime – also referred to as voluntary euthanasia – to people who might not be facing imminent death but have reached a state of “intolerable physical or psychological suffering” due to an incurable disease or disability.