Thirty-seven prisoners have applied for medically assisted death in Canada, with 10 of those being granted, according to information presented in the House of Commons.
Conservative MP Doug Shipley raised the issue through an order paper question, asking for numbers dating back to 2016, when the procedure was first legislated.
Liberal MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety Jennifer O’Connell responded on April 8, saying that medically assisted death or MAID is a “deeply personal matter.”
“Medical assistance in dying, or MAID, is a complex and deeply personal matter, and [Correctional Service Canada (CSC)] ensures a robust and compassionate process for those who may wish to access these services,” Ms. O’Connell said. “The eligibility requirements within CSC follow the legislative requirements that apply to all Canadians.”
As of Feb. 13, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) had received 37 requests for MAID, and 10 individuals received it, she said.
Of the 10, nine received it in external facilities and one received it within a correctional facility at the individual’s request, Ms. O'Connell said. All MAID procedures were done by a health professional, not CSC staff.
“It should be noted that CSC’s guidelines require that an external physician or nurse practitioner perform the second eligibility assessment and that the procedure be completed externally to CSC, namely in a community hospital or health care facility, other than in exceptional circumstances,” Ms. O’Connell said.
Canada has one of the most liberal assisted death laws in the world and the government has been working on a framework that would see it expanded to those whose only condition is a mental illness.
MAID was originally introduced in 2016 for those whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable. The legislation was expanded in 2021 to include anyone over the age of 18, and in March 2023 was to add those who have only a mental illness. The government delayed the expansion for a year and then announced a further delay until 2027. Justice Minister Arif Virani said the provinces’ health care systems were not ready.
