FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 10, 2025

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Canadian disability advocates are sounding the alarm and raising urgent concerns over Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program, highlighting potential violations of disability rights as Canada prepares for review by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on March 10-11, 2025.

This review aligns with the fourth anniversary of Bill C-7 receiving Royal Assent (March 17, 2021), which notably broadened MAiD eligibility to include assisted suicide solely on the basis of disability. Advocates are urging the UN Committee to closely scrutinize Canada’s “Track 2” MAiD provisions, which permit medical professionals to end the lives of non-terminally ill individuals with disabilities, thus raising concerns of discriminating against persons with disabilities.

Canadian civil society delegates, representing a broad coalition of disability rights, feminist, and human rights organizations, provided extensive testimony to the Committee. They assert that Canada’s MAiD policies discriminate against persons with disabilities, violating fundamental rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, specifically the right to life (Article 10), equality and non-discrimination (Article 5), and equal recognition before the law (Article 12).

“Track 2 MAiD, assisted suicide, is eugenics, and perpetuates dangerous, ableist assumptions that life with a disability is not worth living,” said Krista Carr, Chief Executive Officer, Inclusion Canada, addressing Committee members. “The government’s own data shows a steady and alarming rise in the number of Track 2 cases. Since Track 2 became legal, Canada has ended the life of at least one person with a disability every single day.”

In Canada, several disability organizations and individuals have challenged Canada’s expanded MAiD laws by launching a legal Charter challenge in Ontario Superior Court.

Canadian organizations in Geneva for the review have asked the Committee to urge Canada to take action on several key issues. They are calling for a repeal of problematic Track 2 MAiD provisions, enhancement of community-based services, commitment to an employment first model, withdrawal of Canada’s reservation limiting the right to decide, leadership in ending segregated education for a quality inclusive education system, and the implementation of stronger safeguards against systemic ableism, particularly as experienced by women, girls, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, and Indigenous persons with disabilities.

Disability and human rights advocates are closely monitoring the Committee’s Concluding Observations, expected to be published between March 21-24, 2025, and are preparing to leverage this authoritative international evaluation in advocacy efforts both domestically and globally.

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For Media Inquiries, please contact:

Marc Muschler, Senior Communications Officer, Inclusion Canada
Email: mmuschler@inclusioncanada.ca
Direct: 416-661-9611 ext. 232

For detailed submissions and additional background, please click here.  

The following organizations have endorsed this release:

  • Inclusion Canada
  • ARCH Disability Law Centre
  • Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)
  • Independent Living Canada
  • Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC/BCANDS)
  • Environmental Health Association of Canada
  • Eviance
  • The Brainwell Institute
  • L’Arche Canada
  • BC Complex Kids Society
  • Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)