February 7, 2015

Criminal law ban against physician-assisted suicide

Health Law

The SCC has found the Criminal Code provision prohibiting physician-assisted suicide unconstitutional, due to its violating the s.7 Charter rights of competent adult persons with grievous and irremediable medical conditions causing them enduring and intolerable suffering: Carter v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 SCC 5. The court reconsidered its previous conclusion in the 1993 decision of Rodriguez v. British Columbia (Attorney General), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 519. The court did, however, suspend its finding for 12 months. For the decision itself, click here.

Carter v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 SCC 5