Conscience Rights for Physicians in Canada: Physician-Assisted Dying

In June of 2016, our Canadian Government passed Bill C-14, providing guidelines for medical assistance in dying (MAID). There were a number of safeguards set up in the initial iteration of this bill that some people have fought against, demanding more lenient elements to be incorporated. Since then, Canada's MAID laws have evolved. An important change came with Bill C-7 in 2021, which removed the requirement that a patient’s death be “reasonably foreseeable,” expanding MAID eligibility to those who are not near death.

Synod 2025 condemned Medical Assistance in Dying, affirming the church's commitment to the sanctity of life.

Currently, the expansion of MAID for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness (MAID MD-SUMC) has been delayed until March 17, 2027 due to widespread concerns. A new bill, Bill C-218, which would stop this mental-illness-only expansion altogether, is expected to begin debate in the House of Commons on December 5. The federal government has also released a report summarizing last winter’s public consultation on whether to allow advance requests for MAID.

In April 2026, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) sent a written submission to a special committee of MPs and Senators studying MAID for mental illness. In its brief, the EFC urged a complete reversal of the law allowing MAID for mental illness. If the expansion goes ahead, the EFC strongly recommended additional safeguards, such as requiring a direct assessment by a psychiatrist and ensuring MAID is a last resort after all reasonable treatment options have been tried.

However, Canadians can still advocate to protect the conscience of healthcare workers when there are requests for assisted death. Ongoing advocacy also focuses on preventing MAID expansion to mature minors or through advance requests, and prioritizing accessible, comprehensive palliative care and mental health services as true responses to suffering. 

See the resources below to make your position known to your representative:

• Take action by writing into your representative using this letter provided by Canadians for Conscience. 
• Read this blog written by a CRC doctor on the importance of engaging with this topic.  
• See other resources on this topic on the Centre for Public Dialogue's website.  

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