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Medical assistance in dying: National conversation on advance requests

Overview

Legislation in Canada

Monitoring and reporting

Independent reviews

For health professionals and regulators

Support and resources

National conversation on advance requests

We launched a

national conversation on advance requests

Learn more about MAID.

Medical assistance in dying: Overview

On this page

MAID is a shared jurisdiction

About advance requests

National conversation on advance requests for MAID

MAID is a shared jurisdiction

In Canada, MAID is a matter of shared jurisdiction. As a health service, MAID is provided by provincial and territorial health systems as part of end-of-life or complex care, consistent with federal criminal law, provincial/territorial law and policy. There is an important criminal law aspect that falls under the responsibility of the federal government since MAID involves ending a person's life.

The federal legal framework for MAID is set out in the

Criminal Code

and sets out the eligibility criteria and stringent safeguards that apply uniformly across Canada.

About advance requests

An advance request is a request for MAID made by an individual who still has the capacity to make decisions, before they are eligible or want to receive it. Their intent is that MAID be provided in the future after they have lost the capacity to consent and when certain conditions that they specify in their request are met.

In Canada, the provision of MAID based on an advance request is not allowed.

In February 2023, the Parliament of Canada's Special Joint Committee on MAID recommended that the

Criminal Code

be amended to allow for MAID based on advance requests under certain circumstances. In its response, the federal government noted that advance requests for MAID was a complex issue that required further study and consultation.

National conversation on advance requests for MAID

MAID is a complex and sensitive issue and people in Canada hold a broad range of perspectives, including on advance requests.

That is why the Government of Canada launched a national conversation to engage with patients, provincial and territorial governments, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, providers, stakeholders, and the public on advance requests for MAID, to:

discuss advance requests using international and domestic research, studies, and examples

hear views on advance requests

The national conversation on advance requests and MAID included:

roundtables to hear from a broad range of individuals from late November 2024 to mid-February 2025

The Government of Canada remains committed to ensuring that the federal legal framework for MAID reflects the needs of people in Canada, protects those who may be vulnerable, and supports autonomy and freedom of choice.

Related links

<li><a href="#" class="bg-warning">News release: Government of Canada launches national conversation on advance requests for medical assistance in dying</a></li>

Statement on advance requests for medical assistance in dying

Legislation in Canada

Eligibility

Procedural safeguards and final consent

Report Two of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying

Government Response to the Second Report of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying

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