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Legislation on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) for people living with mental illness: ..." MISSING THE MARK"

Ramona Coelho,  John Maher,  Trudo Lemmens explain the impact and implications:

Missing the mark on a profound social change with MAiD for mental illness

The Trudeau government rushed MAiD legislation for political reasons. The law’s defenders invoke the right to equality while ignoring serious dangers.

... Ottawa’s answer to the Quebec court was Bill C-7, which took effect March 2021. It no longer restricted MAID to situations where death is “reasonably foreseeable,” and introduced a new de facto access track for disabled Canadians whose death is not “reasonably foreseeable.” Additionally, the Trudeau government suddenly reversed its previous commitment to exclude MAiD for mental illness alone, with NDP and Conservatives in clear opposition. It accepted a Senate-introduced “sunset clause,” which delayed MAiD for the sole reason of mental illness until March 2023. We believe the decision to rush through the legislation was political and failed to consider the unique dangers of expanding MAiD outside the end-of-life context and particularly for reasons of mental illness. ...

... From the world-renowned CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, experts have warned that it is impossible to predict, as per the language of the law, the “irremediability” of mental illness for any individual. Critics say this raises the spectre of people who are not near death, but who have mental illness, being provided physician-assisted death based on unscientific assessments by physicians claiming supposed “irremediability” — at times where they may be suffering despair that is actually resolvable. ..

Please read the article herehttps://policyoptions.irpp.org...-for-mental-illness/



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