A triumph of compassion and choice: Bill C-7 receives Royal Assent

Last night, Bill C-7 became the law of the land! After the late evening Senate passage of the bill, the acting Governor General and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court signed Bill C-7 into law. This morning, we applaud the triumph of compassion and choice that this change brings Canadians.

We are overwhelmed with relief and gratitude on behalf of suffering Canadians who were denied access under the previous medical assistance in dying (MAID) legislation. These Canadians can now choose to exercise their constitutionally-protected right to a peaceful death.

For those wondering what these changes mean:

• Canadians no longer must have a reasonably foreseeable death in order to be eligible for medical assistance in dying;
• There are now two sets of safeguards in place: One for those whose death is reasonably foreseeable, and one for those who death is not reasonably foreseeable;
• Canadians who have been assessed and approved for medical assistance in dying, but risk losing capacity to consent prior to the MAID procedure, will be able to sign a waiver of final consent;
• During the two-year mental illness exclusion, the Government of Canada will hear from experts and develop safeguards and protocols for people who seek access to MAID, but whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.

Thank you to all of you who sent a letter to their MP and Senators, urging the passage of C-7.

Thank you to those who scheduled a meeting with their local representatives, advocating for change.

Thank you to the courageous storytellers who gave us a glimpse into their hopes and challenges, as they anxiously awaited the passage of Bill C-7.

This news is a celebration of human rights, and a testament to the power of raising our collective voices.

While we honour the impact of this day for Canadians, we know that our work is not done. Now that Bill C-7 has been passed, we’ll be turning our attention to both the parliamentary review that will study advance requests, and the independent review of mental illness.

Questions about Bill C-7 and what this means for Canadians? Visit our Get The Facts page.