Why Canadian MAiD is Not a Medical Procedure.

Authors

Uzair Jamil, Joshua M Pearce

Published in

The Linacre quarterly. Pages 00243639261492161. Oct 12, 2026. Epub Oct 12, 2026.

Abstract

Canada introduced Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in 2016, and it now accounts for more than 5% of all deaths in the country. Although it is framed as a healthcare service, MAiD is fundamentally incompatible with medicine. There are procedural, philosophical, and ethical distinctions between MAiD and palliative care, which are also confirmed by major national and international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Canadian Society of Palliative Medicine. MAiD contradicts the foundational principles of medicine, including the Hippocratic Oath's prohibition against administering lethal substances. The intentional killing of a patient, regardless of consent, cannot constitute a therapeutic act. Normalized terminology and systemic underfunding of palliative care obscure these distinctions and risk eroding the physician-patient relationship.

PMID:
42871455
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Oct 2026.

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