Canada has paused indefinitely a planned expansion that would have allowed people whose sole medical condition is mental illness to access assisted dying, with the ruling Liberals moving to keep the existing exclusion in place.
Key facts
- People with mental illness alone were due to become eligible for assisted dying in Canada, but that plan has now been paused indefinitely, according to the BBC.
- Canada's federal government said on Wednesday it would advance legislation to prevent people whose sole condition is mental illness from accessing euthanasia, according to the Guardian.
- Under current rules, people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness are barred from accessing medical assistance in dying (Maid).
- The ban had been due to be lifted in March, a move that divided lawmakers.
Canada’s federal government has paused plans to expand its assisted dying program to people whose only medical condition is a mental illness, the BBC and the Guardian reported on 7 October 2026.
People with mental illness alone had been set to become eligible for assisted dying in March 2027, but that change has now been paused indefinitely, according to the BBC.
The Guardian reported that the government said on Wednesday it would advance legislation to prevent people whose sole health condition is mental illness from accessing euthanasia. The measure is described as an effort by the ruling Liberal party to address a clash in the country over who has access to physician-assisted death.
Under the current rules, people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness have been barred from accessing medical assistance in dying, known as Maid, to end their lives, the Guardian reported. That ban had been due to be lifted in March.
According to the Guardian, the prospect of lifting the ban had divided lawmakers over whether to permit this expansion of the Maid program. The new legislation would keep the exclusion in place.
Support services are available for people in crisis. In Canada, Crisis Services Canada can be contacted at any time on 1.833.456.4566, or via text on 45645 from 4pm to midnight ET. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by call or text at 988, or via chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, and in Australia, Lifeline is available on 13 11 14.
Why it matters
The decision affects who can legally access assisted dying in Canada, one of the most closely watched jurisdictions on the issue. The pause reflects a continuing national debate over whether mental illness alone should qualify a person for physician-assisted death.
Frequently asked questions
When was the expansion to people with mental illness supposed to take effect?
People with mental illness alone were due to become eligible for assisted dying in March 2027, according to the BBC, and the existing ban had been due to be lifted in March, according to the Guardian.
Can people whose only condition is mental illness access assisted dying in Canada now?
No. Under current rules they are barred from accessing medical assistance in dying, and the government's new legislation is intended to keep that exclusion in place.
Why is the government advancing this legislation?
According to the Guardian, the move by the ruling Liberal party is an effort to address a clash in the country over who has access to physician-assisted death, an issue that has divided lawmakers.