Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), Canada's legal framework for euthanasia and assisted suicide, is currently available only to individuals aged 18 and older who meet specific eligibility criteria, such as having a grievous and irremediable medical condition causing intolerable suffering. As of November 17, 2025, MAiD does not apply to children or minors under 18, and there are no active legislative changes extending it to them.
Ongoing Discussions and RecommendationsHowever, Canada is actively discussing potential policy expansions to include "mature minors"—typically adolescents (around 12–17) deemed capable of making informed medical decisions under provincial laws. These discussions stem from:
Broader ContextCanada's MAiD regime is among the world's most permissive, legalized in 2016 and expanded in 2021. Discussions on minors fit into wider reviews, including advance requests and mental health eligibility. Quebec has separately explored neonatal cases for severe malformations, but this remains hypothetical and unlegislated federally.
In summary, while no policy changes have been implemented, parliamentary recommendations, advocacy, and government studies keep the issue in active national conversation, with ethical debates intensifying as of late 2025. For official updates, refer to Health Canada's MAiD page.
Composed by Grok by xAI, under supervision by Mack McColl
- 2023 Parliamentary Report: A Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying recommended that eligibility for MAiD "should not be denied on the basis of age alone" for mature minors whose deaths are reasonably foreseeable. It proposed consulting parents "where appropriate" but prioritizing the minor's decision if they demonstrate capacity. This report was tabled in Parliament but has not led to enacted legislation.
- Advocacy Groups: Organizations like Dying With Dignity Canada continue to push for access for mature minors with severe, terminal conditions, citing precedents in Belgium and the Netherlands (where such cases are rare, e.g., only 7 minors in the Netherlands from 2002–2015). They argue it aligns with minors' existing rights to consent to or refuse treatments like chemotherapy.
- Government Response: Health Canada has committed to studying the issue, including funding research on MAiD for marginalized groups like mature minors. No immediate changes are planned, and any expansion would require safeguards, such as psychological assessments and restrictions to foreseeable-death cases. Broader expansions (e.g., to mental illness as the sole condition) are delayed until 2027.
| Perspective | Key Arguments | Notable Examples / Voices |
|---|---|---|
| In Favor |
• Emphasizes autonomy and dignity for suffering minors • Would be extremely rare in practice (as seen abroad) • Aligns with existing “mature minor” doctrine that already allows adolescents to consent to or refuse life-sustaining treatment |
Dying With Dignity Canada Some pediatric ethicists Cites low uptake in Belgium (only 3 cases 2016–2017) and Netherlands |
| Opposed |
• High risk of coercion and vulnerability in minors • Fear of slippery slope toward non-terminal cases or even infants • Serious doubts about any child’s true decision-making capacity in end-of-life situations |
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Bioethicist Daryl Pullman and others Widespread public outrage, especially over promotional material suggesting mental-illness-only cases could proceed without parental consent |
|
Social media (especially X) in 2025 is filled with heated backlash, often accusing the government of “euthanizing children.” Fact-checks repeatedly clarify: no such policy currently exists or is actively being implemented for minors in Canada. |
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In summary, while no policy changes have been implemented, parliamentary recommendations, advocacy, and government studies keep the issue in active national conversation, with ethical debates intensifying as of late 2025. For official updates, refer to Health Canada's MAiD page.
Composed by Grok by xAI, under supervision by Mack McColl
