Canadian man says daughter, 27, lacks ability to fully consent to assisted death

In 2020, an 83-year-old Nova Scotia man died using Maid after his wife failed to convince a court to block his death. Photograph: Penny Stephens/The Guardian

A Canadian man has called on a judge to block his 27-year-old daughter’s medically assisted death, arguing she lacks the ability to fully consent to the procedure in a case that highlights the limits on family members’ ability to intervene when a person has decided to die.

The Alberta woman – known as MV due to a publication ban – was set to die on 1 February after receiving approval from two doctors. But her father, WV, successfully applied for an injunction, arguing that she has an undiagnosed mental illness that prevents her from fully consenting to the procedure.