The federal government has introduced legislation that seeks to delay the planned expansion of Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) laws by one year.
Current laws dictating who is eligible to receive MAiD are set to expand on March 17, allowing patients whose sole medical condition is mental illnesses to apply for assisted suicide.
Bill C-39, introduced in the House on Feb. 2, seeks to delay that expansion until March 17, 2024, in order to “ensure the safe provision” of MAiD for patients suffering from mental illnesses “by allowing more time for the dissemination and uptake of key resources by the medical and nursing communities to ensure healthcare system preparedness.”…