Unanimous ruling by Supreme Court on doctor assisted suicide

[mentalfloss]

Doctor-assisted suicide allowed by Supreme Court in specific cases

People with grievous and irremediable medical conditions should have the right to ask a doctor to help them die, Canada's highest court says in a unanimous ruling.

The Supreme Court of Canada says a law that makes it illegal for anyone to help a person commit suicide should be amended to allow doctors to help in specific situations.

The ruling only applies to competent adults with enduring, intolerable suffering who clearly consent to ending their lives.

The court has given federal and provincial governments 12 months to craft legislation to respond to the ruling; the ban on doctor-assisted suicide stands until then. If the government doesn't write a new law, the current one will be struck down.
The ruling is not limited to those with a physical disability who require a physician's assistance to end their lives.

All nine justices share the writing credit on the ruling, an unusual action meant to signal particular institutional weight behind the decision.

'Impinges' on security of the person

The court says the charter right to life doesn't require an absolute prohibition on assistance in dying.

"This would create a 'duty to live,' rather than a 'right to life,' and would call into question the legality of any consent to the withdrawal or refusal of lifesaving or life-sustaining treatment," the court wrote in the decision.

Lee Carter is comforted by a lifelong-friend as she leaves the Supreme Court with her husband, Hollis Johnson, in Ottawa on Oct. 15, 2014. The court will rule Friday on whether it should be legal for doctors to help patients end their lives. Carter is one of the two lead plaintiffs in the landmark case. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
​"An individual's choice about the end of her life

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/politics/d...-by-supreme-court-in-specific-cases-1.2947487

 

[Liberalman]

You beat me by three minutes I guess the moderator will delete my post.

Supreme Court of Canada rules: doctor-assisted suicide ban unconstitutional | CTV News

All I can say is it's real scary since I am getting to that age that I might die sooner than I want.

 

[mentalfloss]

Scary?

No, this is good news.

 

[petros]

Why would it be scary? There needs to be tight set boundaries. It opens other doors too. "Emotional agony". For some there isn't viable treatment, do they have the Right to be free from their pain? If a jumper survives do they finish the job or save and care for a vegetable for potentially 70 years?

We pay a lot of money to care for the failed attempts that leave people vegetables.

 

[mentalfloss]

Let's not frame this in a way that simply puts a dollar bill on everyone's head.

The fact of the matter is that people who deserve relief from pain and suffering should be entitled to make the decision to get the help they need.

 

[waldo]

official Harper Conservative statement from Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Peter MacKay:

“This is a sensitive issue for many Canadians, with deeply held beliefs on both sides. We will study the decision and ensure all perspectives on this difficult issue are heard.”

​

translation: given the coming election, we won't do anything cause we've got a whole year to sit on this. Although our past positions and principles on this subject show we're adamantly opposed to physician assisted suicide, we certainly won't present the opportunity for this to become an election issue.

 

[Nuggler]

The cons will appeal till we're ice skating in hell.

Definitely won't happen on Harpo's (sorta) watch.

 

[skookumchuck]

It makes good sense for people who want to live to the last second and then have someone else kill them. None of them thinking about the feelings their helpers would get regarding murder, which is what it is regardless of how you organize the letters.
Personally i would/will arrange my own affairs while i still have time and ability.
To make it a political matter is sickening.

 

[waldo]

None of them thinking about the feelings their helpers would get regarding murder, which is what it is regardless of how you organize the letters.

the Supreme Court sanctioned, as you say, "murder"? Really?

 

[skookumchuck]

the Supreme Court sanctioned, as you say, "murder"? Really?

You would feel good about pulling the plug, making the injection, handing them the pills, ok, just do it if it feels good for you, do not force others to do your dirty work. Oh wait, you are a liberal, my apologies.

 

[coldstream]

The SCOC is a sick, sick construct.

Led by that that 60s era radical feminist, Chief Justice Bev MacLaughlin, of massive moral and intellectual mediocrity, along with a like minded cohort, they've barged into redefining Canadian Society in their own image.

Something they do not have the mandate for, but have usurped from the people of Canada through their elected representatives, BECAUSE, the Parliament is too gutless to impose the Not Withstanding Clause, the one safeguard left to it to prevent a Judicial Tyranny.

It should be used here to prevent the Culture of Death from making further inroads into Canadian society. It will disassemble the country if it is allowed to prevail.

A Charter of Rights and Freedoms is an ANATHEMA to a Parliamentary system, which does not have the checks and balances to control it. In its form as judicial instrument it has divided the country along lines polemical lines.

In its current format, without a clear statement that it forms a statement of values, SUBJECT to the good of the community as a whole, and without a codicil that all individual rights encompass a commensurate responsibility to that community as determined by Parliament and the people of Canada.. it is like loose cannon on a shipdeck, splintering and destroying everything in its path on the ship of state.

It has moved relentlessly to destroy all sense community responsibility, trumped by the most trivial and destructive notion of 'right' to self gratification (as with the destruction of marriage into an irresponsible absurdity... through homosexual 'unions').

It is Pierre Trudeau's most massive blunder.. and totally undermined his legacy. If the country is going to survive it must repatriate its Constituion from a gang of judicial tyrants to the people of Canada.

 

[JLM]

As long as it's strictly and solely the idea of the person doing the suicide! We don't want anyone getting nudged.

 

[gore0bsessed]

I have seen assisted-suicide videos , it's not an easy or quick process and the person is asked several times if he/she is sure they want to go through with it.

It's also required that you must have a terminal illness, you can't just do it if you're depressed.

 

[coldstream]

As long as it's strictly and solely the idea of the person doing the suicide! We don't want anyone getting nudged.

Look at the Netherlands. Doctor Assisted Suicide will INEVITABLY lead to intentional murder of the comatose, the aged, the seriously disabled... those that expensive to maintain, inconvenient and without a voice. In Belgium now they murder children.. whose life lacks 'quality'

 

[Tonington]

This is a great example of why the Conservatives won't want to touch this. Look at the pro-fascist folks above who love to force their worthless opinion on others. Calling it murder...DERPY Derpsters. Murder is malicious and unlawful. Doctor assisted suicide of terminally ill patients suffering to the end is not malicious, and now it won't be unlawful.

 

[waldo]

Look at the Netherlands. Doctor Assisted Suicide will INEVITABLY lead to intentional murder of the comatose, the aged, the seriously disabled... those that expensive to maintain, inconvenient and without a voice. In Belgium now they murder children.. whose life lacks 'quality'

much/most (?) of what reflects upon false information concerning the Netherlands and Belgium, stems from a 2012 paper published by 'J. Pereira' ... this is a take-down of that paper:

of course, if you have later/other substantiation to your statements, it would be helpful to read your sources.

 

[skookumchuck]

This is a great example of why the Conservatives won't want to touch this. Look at the pro-fascist folks above who love to force their worthless opinion on others. Calling it murder...DERPY Derpsters. Murder is malicious and unlawful. Doctor assisted suicide of terminally ill patients suffering to the end is not malicious, and now it won't be unlawful.

Worthless opinion? And your opinion is what? Liberal perhaps. I actually thought you had some sense.

 

[Sons of Liberty]

Anyone with knowledge how your SCOC weighs on this. I read in the article it is allowing Parliament 12 month to enact laws. Isn't it already law since the SCOC voted on it? What further action needs to be taken?

 

[Tonington]

Worthless opinion? And your opinion is what? Liberal perhaps. I actually thought you had some sense.

My opinion also doesn't matter. Not my life, so I don't have a say in what you do with yours. It's pretty simple.

 

[WLDB]

Surprised that it happened so soon and that it was unanimous. Glad it finally happened. No we can really own our own bodies.

None of them thinking about the feelings their helpers would get regarding murder, which is what it is regardless of how you organize the letters.

Ever watched a relative slowly die in agony? I have. My grandmother went out that way and she wanted this option. If it were legal I would have done it myself. Instead it was a long, drawn out and painful affair for her and everybody else around her. If people dont want to be the 'helpers', fine, dont. Those who are willing should be able to without risking losing their career and freedom. You can call it murder if you like. When its the dying person's choice I dont care what its called - its helping them.

As long as it's strictly and solely the idea of the person doing the suicide! We don't want anyone getting nudged.

If someone tries nudging someone, that person can just tell the nudger to f*ck off and write them out of the will.

Look at the Netherlands. Doctor Assisted Suicide will INEVITABLY lead to intentional murder of the comatose, the aged, the seriously disabled... those that expensive to maintain, inconvenient and without a voice. In Belgium now they murder children.. whose life lacks 'quality'

None of which seems to happen in Oregon.