Assisted Suicide Appeal By Canadian Government Announced

No surprise that the Federal government will be appealing the assisted suicide decision recently rendered by the British Columbia Supreme Court in Carter v. Canada (Attorney General). As discussed in my previous postings on the issue, the Federal government, through the Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson, had thirty days from the handing down of the BC decision to appeal to the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The time deadline was today and true to form, the government squeezed within the time period by filing the Notice to Appeal today. The government will also seek a stay of the ruling of Madam Justice Lynn Smith, which permits Gloria Taylor, suffering from ALS, to seek an assisted suicide when she so chose to do so through a rarely used constitutional exemption.

In Rob Nicholson's statement announcing the appeal, he maintained that the laws surrounding assisted suicide "exist to protect all Canadians." This idea of safeguarding an individual's life, even if the individual wants to end that life, is very consistent with the Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the Rodriguez case from 1993. Whether or not this idea of "government-knows-best" is still consistent with present Canadian values will no doubtedly be at issue when the Taylor et al case is ultimately heard before the Supreme Court of Canada. Again, considering the make-up of the present day SCC, particularly with the presence of Chief Justice McLachlin, who disagreed with the Rodriguez majority ruling, this rather outmoded idea of government as ultimate protector may be an idea of the past. Stay tuned to this blog for more on this issue.