The Supreme Court of Canada has made a historic ruling today, ending the ban on assisted suicide.
Canada’s top court ruled that competent adults with a “grievous and irremediable medical condition causing enduring suffering” may give consent for physician assistance to end their life.
The laws currently in place will be pushed aside and Parliament has one year to draft new legislation.
The top court made a unanimous judgement, saying the ban infringes on all three of the life, liberty and security of person provisions in the Charter of Rights.
The case was brought forward by the families of two late British Columbia women, Kay Carter and Gloria Taylor.
Here is a link to the full ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada.
We’ll look to gather some local reaction to the ruling.
I am wondering what doctors will do with their conscience in regard to the historic and traditional Hippocratic Oath. There is a line that states, “Nor shall any man’s entreaty prevail upon me to administer poison to anyone; neither will I counsel any man to do so…” This really opens up a Pandora’s box.
Quite an interesting situation we have here. And you are 100% on the Hippocratic Oath. This will be a very difficult situation they placed health care employees in.