What is the law in Canada regarding medical assistance in dying?

In June 2016, the Federal Government created new legislation that makes it legal for eligible individuals to request medical assistance in dying (MAID). Since then, there have been about 45,000 medically assisted deaths in Canada. Cancer was the most frequently reported underlying medical condition associated with 63% of the all assisted dying cases. Although the age range of patients was from 18-90+, the average age of those who received assistance in dying was 73.

An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make amendments to other Acts (medical assistance in dying) became law on June 17, 2016. The Act also makes a person not guilty of a criminal offence if they provide or assist in providing medical assistance in dying according to the conditions and safeguards in the law.

The Act sets out the rules regarding:

• who is eligible for medical assistance in dying,
• who can administer the medical assistance,
• procedural safeguards,
• regulations and guidelines, and
• the punishment for failure to comply with the safeguards and regulations.

What is medical assistance in dying?

Medical assistance in dying is also known as euthanasia, assisted suicide, or death with dignity. Under the Act, medical assistance in dying means:

(a) the administering by a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner of a substance to a person, at their request, that causes their death (sometimes called euthanasia); or

(b) the prescribing or providing by a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner of a substance to a person, at their request, so that they may self-administer the substance and in doing so cause their own death (sometimes called assisted suicide).

A medical practitioner is defined as “a person who is entitled to practise medicine under the laws of a province.”

A nurse practitioner is a “registered nurse who, under the laws of a province, is entitled to practise as a nurse practitioner — or under an equivalent designation — and to autonomously make diagnoses, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe substances and treat patients.”

Who is eligible for medical assistance in dying?

The Act sets the criteria for who is eligible to receive medical assistance in dying. Under 2021 revisions to the Act, the law no longer requires a person’s natural death to be reasonably foreseeable as an eligibility requirement, meaning you do not need to have a fatal or terminal condition to be eligible for medical assistance in dying.

Currently, an individual is eligible to receive MAID if they meet all of the following:

• they are at least 18 years of age and capable of making decisions with respect to their health;
• they are eligible for publicly funded health care services;
• they have made a voluntary request for medical assistance in dying that was not made as a result of external pressure or influence;
• they give informed consent to receive MAID after having been informed of all the information needed to make this decision; and
• they have a grievous and irremediable medical condition, which means they
  • have a serious illness, disease or disability;
  • are in an advanced state of decline that cannot be reversed
  • experience unbearable physical or mental suffering from their illness, disease, disability or state of decline that cannot be relieved under conditions that they consider acceptable

What does informed consent mean?

Informed consent means the person has given permission to medical assistance in dying after receiving all of the information they need to make their decision. This includes:

• a medical diagnosis,
• available forms of treatment, and
• available options to relieve suffering, including palliative care.

Individuals must be able to give informed consent both at the time of their request for MAID, and immediately before MAID is provided unless special circumstances apply (Waiver of Final Consent).

Mental illness and MAID

Canadians who meet all eligibility criteria and whose only medical condition is a mental illness, are not currently eligible for MAID. On February 2, 2023 “the Government of Canada introduced legislation proposing to extend the temporary exclusion of eligibility for MAID in circumstances where a person’s sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness until March 17, 2024”. This legislation has not passed. Currently, eligibility for MAID for persons suffering solely from a mental illness has been delayed until March 17, 2027.

According to the Government of Canada, if you have a mental illness along with other medical conditions, you may be eligible for medical assistance in dying.

Who can provide medical assistance in dying and who can help?

Those who legally can provide medical assistance in dying services are:

• physicians
• nurse practitioners (in provinces where this is allowed)

Those who can help provide medical assistance in dying include:

• pharmacists,
• family members or other people that you ask to help,
• health care providers who help physicians or nurse practitioners.

These people can assist in the process without being charged under criminal law. However, physicians, nurse practitioners and other people who are directly involved must follow:

• the rules set out in the Criminal Code, and
• applicable provincial and territorial health-related laws, rules and policies.

The legislation does not require any person to provide or help to provide medical assistance in dying.

Available options

There are 2 types of medical assistance in dying available in Canada. They each must include a physician or nurse practitioner who:

1. Directly administers a substance that causes death, such as an injection of a drug. This process was previously known as voluntary euthanasia, and is now becoming known as clinician-assisted medical assistance in dying; or

2. Provides or prescribes a drug that the eligible person takes themselves, in order to bring about their own death. This process was previously known as medically assisted suicide or assisted suicide, and now is becoming known as self-administered medical assistance in dying.

Obtaining medical assistance in dying

Any Canadian who is eligible can request medical assistance in dying. The specifics regarding how and where it is offered depends on the province or territory, and the health professionals’ regulatory body and medical institutions in that jurisdiction.

For instance, in most provinces, a person can request medical assistance in dying regardless of where they live, such as:

• their home,
• a hospital,
• a hospice or palliative care facility, or
• a long-term care home.

Procedural safeguards 

The Act sets out a number of procedural safeguards to ensure the safety of the individual during the application process and before a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner provides a person with medical assistance in dying.  Safeguards are in place for:

Persons whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable, including:

• allowing, under certain circumstances, the waiver of the requirement to provide final consent immediately before receiving MAID for patients whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable, such as when the person s been assessed and approved to receive MAID; and
• individuals whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable no longer have to wait 10 days between the approval of their MAID request and receiving MAID.

Persons whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, including:

• requests for MAID must be made in writing: a written request must be signed by one independent witness, and it must be made after the person is informed that they have a “grievous and irremediable medical condition”; and
• two independent doctors or nurse practitioners must provide an assessment and confirm that all of the eligibility requirements are met

Persons who choose to self-administer substance for MAID, including:

• persons approved to receive MAID who choose to self-administer the substance for MAID can now make an arrangement in writing with their medical practitioner if complications arise after the ingestion of the substance, causing loss of decision-making capacity, but not death

A full list of procedural safeguards is listed on the Government of Canada website here.

Offences under the Act

The Act sets out the punishment for failing to comply with the legislation or its regulations. Offences include:

• failure to comply with safeguards,
• forgery of a request for medical assistance in dying,
• destruction of documents related to a request,
• failure to file required documents with appropriate body, and
• not providing information or providing false information to be included on death certificate.

Punishment

Depending on the offence, punishment can include imprisonment from 18 months up-to five years.

Provincial legislation

The legislation regarding medical assistance in death is a federal law. However, additional health-related laws, or rules may be created by provinces and territories, and policies and procedures may vary.

For instance, provincial and territorial laws may address:

• if specific forms are required,
• any special medical training for providers of the service,
• how information and data on the service are provided,
• rules or requirements for the two types of medical assistance in dying.

In May 2017, Ontario passed the Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act to provide more protection and greater clarity for patients, their families, health care providers and health care institutions.

The Medical Assistance in Dying Law ensures:

• Benefits, such as insurance payments and workplace safety and insurance benefits, are not denied only because of a medically assisted death.
• Physicians and nurse practitioners, those who assist them, and care provider institutions, are protected from civil liability when lawfully providing medical assistance in dying, except in cases of negligence.
• Identifiable information about individuals and facilities that provide medical assistance in dying are protected from disclosure under access to information requests.
• Effective ongoing reporting and monitoring by the Chief Coroner of Ontario for cases of medical assistance in dying.

Ontario’s MAID Care Coordination Service

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has also established the MAID Care Coordination Service which:

• assists patients and caregivers in accessing additional information and services for medical assistance in dying and other end-of-life options, including information on hospice care and palliative care options;
• provides information, tools and training to support patients, caregivers and health care providers on medical assistance in dying-related matters; and
• connect patients and caregivers to doctors or nurse practitioners who can provide medical assistance in dying services, including eligibility assessments and administering drugs .

The Care Coordination Service telephone line at 1-866-286-4023 is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is available in English and French. Services can be provided in other languages if requested. Visit Ontario.ca for more information on MAID in Ontario and the Care Coordination Service.

More info

For the most up-to-date information on medical assistance in dying and federal law, visit canada.ca.

More information regarding medical assistance in dying in Ontario can be found at ontario.ca or from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

								
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