Federal Bill C-62 seeks to amend the Criminal Code to provide that persons are not eligible, until March 17, 2027, to receive medical assistance in dying “if their sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness” continues its legislative journey.
The adoption of a motion this week allowed this Bill to be expedited. Note that there was a failed attempt by the Bloc Québécois to add the issue of advance requests to C-62.
We thank psychiatrists Pierre Gagnon and Sonu Gaind who spent Valentine's evening participating in the only meeting of the Standing Committee on Health studying the Bill.
Passed Thursday in the House of Commons, Bill C-62 will be debated during the last week of February in the Canadian Senate.
We hope for an adoption without amendment by March 1, 2024 due to the scheduled breaks in the Senate’s session. We will be very vigilant, as many Senators oppose delaying the exclusion of MAID for mental disorders.
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