Ontario court denies Toronto woman’s motion to apply for MAID for mental illness

TORONTO — An Ontario judge has denied a motion that would have allowed a woman who suffers solely from a mental illness to apply for a medically assisted death.

Claire Brosseau, a 49-year-old Toronto resident, filed a motion in May seeking a constitutional exemption from a law that currently prevents people from applying for MAID on the basis of mental illness alone.

Brosseau’s legal team argued in court on July 20 that she required emergency relief from persistent suffering that began when she was a child and has only intensified over the last 35 years.

She says she’s been treated for bipolar disorder, an eating disorder, substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Canadians are not eligible to apply for MAID on the basis of mental illness alone.

That aspect of the government’s MAID legislation has been highly controversial since it was put in place as a temporary exclusion in 2021.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press