Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is a procedure in which a nurse practitioner or physician prescribes and/or administers medications that cause death.
It is a legal choice within Canada’s health care system that allows eligible adults with serious medical conditions to receive help to end their life if they are experiencing intolerable suffering that cannot be relieved in ways that are acceptable to them.
The methods of MAID
The law outlines two methods of medical assistance in dying:
- a clinician-administered method, in which a nurse practitioner or physician administers a sequence of medications, usually intravenously, that leads to a coma-like sleep, followed quickly by death
- a self-administered method, in which a nurse practitioner or physician prescribes a combination of medications, usually as a liquid that the person drinks, leading to a coma-like sleep, followed by death
Both approaches are legally recognized in all provinces except Quebec, where self-administration is not permitted. Since MAID became legal in 2016, the vast majority of assisted deaths in Canada have been administered intravenously.
How MAID has evolved in Canada
Before MAID became legal, assisted dying was prohibited under the Criminal Code of Canada. Physicians were not allowed to assist in ending a person’s life, and doing so could result in criminal charges and convictions. End-of-life care focused on palliative measures, including pain and other symptom management and, in some cases, the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.
The legal history of MAID in Canada began decades ago and culminated in Carter v. Canada, a landmark Supreme Court case arguing that prohibitions on assisted dying violated constitutional rights. Following the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in 2015, Parliament passed Bill C-14, which established medical assistance in dying legislation with specific eligibility criteria. This came into effect in 2016.
MAID law continues to develop through court decisions, legislative debate, and civic engagement. This reflects an ongoing national conversation about autonomy, dignity, and care at the end of life.
End-of-life choice is a shared Canadian value
A 2026 survey conducted by Environics on behalf of Dying With Dignity Canada found that support for MAID is high, with more than 8 in 10 people in favour. Three quarters of seniors surveyed said it’s important that MAID is available to them as an option.
The role of advocacy in the evolution
Founded by a registered nurse and a handful of supporters in 1980, Dying With Dignity Canada has been a leading advocate for end-of-life choice and care across the country. The organization had intervenor status in the Carter v. Canada case.
This meant that the courts deemed Dying With Dignity Canada’s decades-long involvement and expertise on the issue valuable to the proceedings and permitted them to present its perspectives in the case. The organization also contributed to the public awareness and advocacy that helped make the legal challenge possible, and paved the way for MAID to become legal in 2016.
The organization continues to ensure access to quality end-of-life choice and care through advocacy, education, and support, and contributes to the ongoing development of MAID legislation, policy and practice in Canada.
Dying With Dignity Canada also funds and hosts this website as an educational resource for people seeking clear, accessible information about how MAID laws work and what the process of MAID involves.
Learn more about MAID
Like many aspects of health care, MAID is carefully regulated, and not everyone who requests it will be found eligible. Learn more about the criteria and safeguards that ensure that it is requested voluntarily and with full understanding.
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