The Supreme Court of Canada must uphold legal protections against euthanasia and assisted suicide for every Canadian
Editor’s note. This alert is provided by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
Today
the Supreme Court of Canada is hearing a case concerning Canada’s laws
related to euthanasia and assisted suicide. Many Canadians are concerned
about whether the laws designed to protect their lives will be upheld
by the Supreme Court.The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) has intervened in this case at every level.
EPC legal counsel Hugh Scher states:
“EPC is concerned about the safety,
security and equality of people with disabilities and seniors, which is
central to the protections set out under the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms and our Criminal Code.”
“The Supreme Court will consider this
important public safety issue. The Court rejected assisted suicide and
euthanasia in 1993 and prevented Canada from taking a wrong turn. In the
20 years since, human nature has not changed, our poor record of
predicting the dying process has not changed, and vulnerable people are
still at risk in our health care system. We are getting better at
controlling symptoms, and we have seen the abuses of euthanasia in those
few jurisdictions where this practice has become entrenched.
“Let us hope that by clarifying the
issues, the Supreme Court once again confirms the Canadian rejection of
suicide and direct killing of the sick, and that we stay the course by
improving symptom control to all who need it.”
“The Supreme Court needs examine how decriminalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide will affect every Canadian.
“In other jurisdictions, euthanasia
has expanded to include people with depression, people with psychiatric
problems, people with dementia, teenagers and other incompetent people.
“The laws in other jurisdictions have also been abused.
“Canadian society needs to focus on how it cares for people in difficult circumstances, not how it could kill these people.”
Source: NRLC News
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